Kaizer Chiefs winger Keagan Dolly says he’s always tried to use the pressure of fans to motivate him but admitted it’s affected the squad during struggling times.
Dolly, 31, was lured back to South Africa by Chiefs in July 2021 after four years in France with Ligue 1 side Montpellier.
His arrival as a marquee signing to play alongside his former Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Khama Billiat appeared to be the boost Amakhosi needed to end their trophy drought but he’s yet to win silverware with the club he supported growing up.
Going into the Derby, there’s a dark cloud surrounding the club due to their lofty standards as an iconic brand and institution for African football, despite being only a point behind Orlando Pirates.
But this is due to the 13-point gap between league leaders Sundowns, who have three games in hand over the Soweto giants – who have won eight, drawn five and lost six games in 19 matches in the league this season.
“I could say yes and no, for me personally when I got to the club, I enjoyed that [pressure], I took that pressure and turned it to be motivation to prove myself to them,” Dolly said when asked by iDiski Times if fan pressure affects the team.
“Sometimes we also let the pressure get to us and then you do feel that anxiousness creeping in and I feel like a lot of times it happens when things aren’t going our way.
“We tend to succumb to the pressure and we tend to try and overdo things in games – that’s when we create big mistakes that cost us games. For us it’s [now] to stick to what we know, play as a team, be there for one another, support the technical staff and do well for the badge.”
Amakhosi face off against their rivals at the Calabash tomorrow at 15h30.
