With the majority of the players being free agents, Keagan Dolly has addressed concerns around the fitness levels of Bafana Bafana's CHAN squad.
The Molefi Ntseki-led squad played to a 1-1 draw against Angola at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
This was a behind-closed-doors match intended to prepare the largely unfit squad for the upcoming CHAN tournament to be played from 2 to 30 August.
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The list includes Zakhele Lepasa, Rowan Human, Keagan Dolly, Philip Ndlondlo and Fortune Makaringe, all of whom are without clubs, among others.
Speaking to media after the match, Dolly conceded that the squad has some way to go in terms of fitness, but remained optimistic on South Africa's chances.
"It's obviously not at the highest, not where it needs to be," Dolly said to journalists after the clash against Angola.
"But we are working very hard. We started on Saturday, and each day we are getting better. We are understanding what the demands are from the coach and what the demands are for us, and what we need to do.
"But games like this help us improve as a team and as individuals going into the tournament."
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Despite the strength of the PSL, ranked among the best on the continent, South Africa has never won the CHAN. However, Dolly is adamant that this could be the year Bafana lift silverware in the Nations' Championship.
"That [winning the tournament] has been the conversation since we got to camp. It's an opportunity for all of us because there are youngsters who want to win things with the national team, who can go on to bigger things.
"It's an opportunity for us to write our names in the history books of the national team.
"At the end of the day, it's still the national team.
"The conversation is there that we want to go all the way and try to win it."
Dolly and Co. will take on Algeria in the first match of the CHAN group stages to be played at the Mandela National Stadium in Ghana.
Photo: Bafana Bafana media
