Ex-teammate Steve Mounie reveals why Keagan Dolly struggled at Montpellier
Keagan Dolly’s former Montpellier teammate Steve Mounie, has revealed the main reason why the South African attacking midfielder struggled during his stint in France.
Dolly joined the French Ligue 1 side, Montpellier in 2017 from serial DStv Premiership winners,Mamelodi Sundowns. Then as an energetic 24-year-old, he signed a four-year-and-a-half-year contract.
Hopes of excelling were high as he became the first South African player ever to play for Montpellier.
However, it was not to be for the Westbury-born star who had been making a lasting impression at Sundowns in his 18 months stay at the club.
With the Tshwane giants he won the PSL title, CAF Champions League and Telkom Knockout Cup titles. He was part of a formidable attacking trio with Percy Tau and Khama Billiat.
But his stay in France was disappointing for a player who had shown so much potential to excel in Europe. At Montpellier, he made 64 appearances, with only a single goal under his belt.
WHAT DOLLY’S FORMER TEAMMATE SAID
And his former teammate, Mounie who now plies his trade at the Germany Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg revealed the reason for Dolly’s struggles.
“I played with Keagan but it was difficult for him, when I was there he didn’t play that much. He had so many injuries, and I think it was not easy for him to leave South Africa.
“He was a good player, we could tell in training that he was good. He didn’t play much at that time.
“We had the likes of Stéphane Sessègnon and Yanis Ammour, so it wasn’t easy for him to get into the team. He is a good player, I could tell,” Mounie said.
After leaving Montpellier, Dolly joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2021. And when his contract expired on the 30th of June 2024, Amakhosi opted against renewing it.
Dolly was haunted by injuries that left him sidelined for some time. During his three seasons at Naturena, he made 67 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists.
Last season, he only managed eight appearances across all competitions, with one assist to his name. Currently, he is unattached after his intended SuperSport United move hit a snag.
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