Midfielder Keagan Dolly has spent the better part of the past 18 months in the medical room at Ligue 1 side Montpellier, and is now left with just one season on his four-year deal at the club.
His bad fortune started with a leg break just six minutes into his second start of the 2018/19 season in September that year, which led to the 27-year-old missing a further 12 of Bafana's last 13 matches, including the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
With many players in the past having opted to hang up their international boots in favour of re-establishing themselves at club level, 'Choo' has refused to turn to this sort of extreme to try and get himself back up and running in France before his future comes up for review.
"As a young boy, I always wanted to play for Bafana and I feel like I'm still at a good age where I can still focus on my international career," Dolly told the South African Football Jouranlists' Association.
"I think with all the injuries I picked up, it was just the fact that I didn't manage my body well, especially with all the travelling [to and from South Africa].
"In the space of one week that we have with the Bafana team and the coach, I tend to want to do too much to prove that I deserve to be there.
"But for the future, I've learnt and I know how to deal with the traveling and going back to Bafana, and I'm not thinking of retiring right now from my international career.
"I think I still have a lot to prove, especially with Bafana and here in Europe, so now I'm just focused on trying to get fully fit and staying injury-free."
