Bafana Bafana have suffered a major injury blow, as star forward Keagan Dolly has been ruled out of the African Cup of Nations with a groin injury.

The winger has endured an injury-hit season with French club Montpellier, but after regaining fitness towards the end of the campaign it appeared likely that Dolly would be included in Baxter’s final 23 man squad for the tournament, and was even selected in the Cosafa Cup squad to improve his match fitness.

However, he felt a tweak in his groin on the evening of Bafana’s first Cosafa Cup clash with Botswana, and it has now been confirmed by Bafana team doctor Thulani Ngwenya that Dolly will not recover in time to take his place in the squad.

‘He is completely out of the Afcon. There is no chance that his groin injury will recover in time,’ said Bafana’s team doctor in a statement to the press.

Earlier in the day Baxter revealed that the player felt a strain in his groin and then went for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan which revealed that Dolly had indeed aggravated his groin injury.

Baxter will now have to select someone else in his squad. He is not short of options with a 30-man squad assembling on Sunday, as preparations for the showpiece event have already begun.

According to the medical team, all the players will undergo a mandatory pre-competition medical assessment (PCMA) for the Afcon tournament. This includes a blood test, an echocardiogram and musculoskeletal examination to ensure a fully fit squad is chosen.