Keagan dolly injury a big blow: Baxter

Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter says that Keagan Dolly’s injury is a big blow for the national team going into the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

Dolly suffered a groin injury in the COSAFA Cup tournament in Durban ahead of the Botswana match last Sunday. Dolly has been struggling with injuries this season.

Baxter has not decided on the player that will replace winger Dolly who is based in France. He hinted that the replacement could come from the provisional team or the COSAFA team players currently in Durban.

The final team will be announced before they depart to Dubai on the 10th of this month.

Baxter believes that the national team will be surprise package in Egypt. They will be in the same group as Ivory Coast, Morocco and Namibia. Not many people are expecting Bafana to set the scene alight at the biennial competition.

The last time Bafana qualified for the AFCON was in 2015, where they were knocked out in the first round. Baxter is confident they will not fall in the first hurdle this time.

Bafana are struggling to secure friendly matches ahead of the AFCON. They have one definite friendly match against Ghana in Dubai with other matches not confirmed. Baxter says they could also play a friendly against David Notoane’s COSAFA team.

Kermit Erasmus and Thulani Serero sat out training today. With Erasmus having a slight knock and Serero being rested, according to Baxter. – Report by Vincent Sitsula