Delightful Dolly SA's Rio trump card

08 June 2016 - 09:48 By MARC STRYDOM

South Africa's Under-23 coach Owen da Gama says midfield player Keagan Dolly is the team's "Neymar", and as such has been allowed to join Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League this month, hopefully in return for his participation in the Rio Olympic Games in August. Da Gama said his team hoped to finalise an agreement with Sundowns that would see Dolly become available for the Olympics, and also a friendly against Japan on June 29, and yet-to-be announced big-name opponents on July 8. The Olympic men's football tournament takes place from August 3-20.Da Gama, also assistant coach of Bafana Bafana, said of Dolly after the diminutive star player set up two goals and scored the other two from range in the senior national team's 4-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against the Gambia in Bakau on Saturday: "He's at a different level."He said 23-year-old Dolly will be free to play for Sundowns in their first Champions League group stage match against top Algerian club ES Sétif on June 18."Sundowns are playing in the Champions League and we have got to respect that. So Keagan will not be part of Cosafa," the under-23 coach said."We haven't finalised it but we believe there's got to be a compromise. We've got to also allow Sundowns the chance to go to the highest level."Then we hope to have him for the Olympics. We're playing Japan on the 29th and there is another big friendly on the eighth [of July] which has not been finalised, which is massive - and we hope to have him in those games."As much as Brazil respect Neymar, who is not part of their friendly matches, we respect Dolly."Da Gama said Dolly is South Africa's version of Neymar - the Barcelona star striker, who will be part of hosts' Brazil's squad as an overage player at the Olympics."He is the South African Neymar, I don't care what anybody says. He is absolutely fantastic," he said.South Africa have a bye into the Cosafa quarterfinals, in which they will meet the winners of Group B (Malawi, Angola, Lesotho or Mauritius) on June 18.Bafana's squad at the Cosafa Cup consists of under-23 players in preparation for the Olympics. They will be jointly coached by Da Gama and senior team head coach Shakes Mashaba. - TMG Digital..

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