Dolly ready for the big stage after bedding-in at Mamelodi Sundowns

15 January 2016 - 02:35 By Tiyani wa ka Mabasa

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Keagan Dolly says he didn't pay attention to his doubters when he returned to the club last year. The Westbury-born lad was once in the Brazilians' youth team, but was let go and ended up at Ajax Cape Town.After his impressive stint with the Urban Warriors, Dolly was reunited with Sundowns and he feels many doubted he could make it in the star-studded team.Almost halfway into the season, however, Dolly has started 17 games for Sundowns across all competitions and missed just one match. He has found the net four times, provided two assists and he is delighted with his start."I'm over the moon. I couldn't have started any better and I started scoring goals, which is something I haven't been doing in a while.It is satisfying for me because most people doubted me when I came back to Sundowns.''They thought that I would sit on the bench, but I turned it around. Once I left Ajax I told myself that it was up to me how much I wanted it," he said.Dolly admitted that he is even happier that he's contributing out on the field."Obviously coming to a big team, as a youngster, you think am I gonna play? But like I said, it is up to the individual on how much you want it. If you work hard for it, what can stop you?"Dolly played all four games as Sundowns won the 2015 Telkom Knockout late last year when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium, and now he has his sights set on a Bafana recall.The left-footed player has already featured for South Africa - against Sudan in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 2014 - and although Shakes Mashaba's boys won 3-0 in Khartoum, Dolly thinks he didn't have a good run in the match. But he feels ready now."I'm lucky enough that I got a chance to play for Bafana Bafana at the age of 21, even though it didn't go too good."But now that I'm captaining the under-23 team and gaining the experience, I'm ready to play for Bafana," he explained...

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