Keagan Dolly had to wait patiently for a real chance in the Bafana Bafana set-up, but on Saturday night in The Gambia, he proved that he could become the heartbeat of the national team in future.
Mamelodi Sundowns star Dolly mesmerised the home side with his pace and skill, and rounded off a superb performance with two cracking strikes in a 4-0 African Cup of Nations qualifier victory in Bakau – Bafana’s biggest ever away win.
Shakes Mashaba’s team’s chances of qualifying for the 2017 competition from Group M as one of the best second-placed sides on points were dashed by other results throughout Africa over the last few days, but they can take great comfort from their display on Saturday.
And it was Dolly who was the danger man for Bafana as he ran at the lacklustre Gambians with his quick feet and excellent skill. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder operated down the left-hand side mainly, but also popped up all over the place.
After a quiet opening 15 minutes where the hosts actually had the better of the game, Bafana sparked into life when Dolly showed tremendous pace to beat the offside trap, but he couldn’t control his shot.
Andile Jali, as usual, kept things going in central midfield and the Dutch-based midfielder delivered a wonderful through-ball to Thamsanqa Gabuza, but instead of providing a return pass to Jali, the Orlando Pirates striker’s weak shot was easily saved by Gambian goalkeeper Alhagie Nyabally.
Then it was Dolly who ranged up on the right this time and pulled the ball back to Thulani Serero, but the Ajax Amsterdam playmaker fired his shot over the top and went off immediately with a right knee injury.
The talented Serero didn’t make much of an impact as the injury bogey struck once more in the 22nd minute, but his replacement Sibusiso Vilakazi of Wits showed good initiative to join in on the attack with Dolly and Jali.
But it was that man Dolly who created the opening on the half-hour mark to set up Gabuza, following a nifty flick-on by Vilakazi, to slot the ball into the net to put Bafana into the lead.
Eight minutes later Dolly was the provider once more with a perfectly-timed cross into the near-post, and Gabuza showed some good skill to direct the ball past Nyabally to give South Africa a 2-0 advantage.
That broke the back of Gambia’s challenge, and they were fortunate not to concede a few more goals before halftime as Bafana took total control. Vilakazi was brought down inside the penalty area and was unlucky not to be awarded a spot-kick, while he and Gabuza couldn’t find the net in two further chances.
After a period where Bafana played possession football, Dolly decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the 56th minute when he let rip with a left-footed pile-driver from 20 yards that beat an outstretched Nyabally.
The South Africans went into cruise mode after that, but there was time for one more piece of Dolly magic in the 80th minute as the man who hails from Westbury in Johannesburg – the same suburb in which Steven Pienaar grew up – blasted the ball home from even further than his opener to leave the Gambian goalkeeper sprawled across the turf.
With Bafana out of contention for Afcon, one has to wonder what could have been had Mashaba opted to bring in Dolly earlier in the campaign.
But at least South Africa have made it through to final qualifying for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia, and one would hope that the likes of Dolly, Vilakazi and other Sundowns newcomers such as left back Tebogo Langerman and right back Ramahlwe Mphahlele can remain in the team for that campaign alongside stalwarts such as Jali and Hlompho Kekana.
Dolly will also spearhead the SA Under-23s at the Rio Olympic Games in August.
@IndyCapeSport