Dolly wants to make an impact
CHIEFS MIDFIELDER IS ‘NOT AFRAID’ OF PIRATES
By his own admission, Keagan Dolly has not had the best of seasons in a Kaizer Chiefs shirt. But the 31-year-old is confident he is trending upwards and is determined to help Amakhosi to another Soweto derby victory over Orlando Pirates when the two teams meet at FNB Stadium today.
“It has not been the happiest (time). I haven’t been playing much and picking up small niggles here and there. I’ve been trying to get back to where I was when I joined, creating and scoring chances,” said Dolly this week.
“For me it is just to get into a good space, to compose myself and try and to deliver…and lead by example with my performances. I looked at the stats from Arrows (Chiefs won 1-0 in midweek), it was an improvement. For me it is just to keep going.”
Dolly had a great start to his Soweto derby life, netting both goals in November 2021, including a last minute penalty as Amakhosi beat the Buccaneers 2-1. He also assisted Erick Mathoho for a late winner in the return DStv Premiership fixture that season, while Chiefs went on to do another league double over Pirates in the 2022/23 campaign.
It hasn’t gone so well for Chiefs since, losing 2-1 to Pirates in the 2023 Nedbank Cup semifinals, and losing 1-0 to the Buccaneers in the first round of the current Premiership campaign.
“Things have changed, we lost the last derby, but there is no way I am going to stand here and tell you I am afraid of them (Pirates),” added Dolly.
“We are not afraid and neither should their players be (afraid of us). As it stands I have still played five games against them and won four (Dolly didn’t play in the Nedbank Cup semifinal). But most important for us is not to focus on Pirates and the past.
“We are on a good run, we have played eight matches and conceded only once.”
Chiefs have closed the gap in the standings to just one point on Pirates, and even if neither side has a realistic chance of catching Sundowns at the top, they both have ambitions of finishing second, and making it into next season’s Caf Champions League.