Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs have been dealt a huge blow after defender Rushwin Dortley was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. So serious is the injury that Dortley (22) will miss Chiefs's last 10 Betway Premier Soccer League matches and their Nedbank Cup semi-final match against the winners between Mamelodi Sundowns and Sekhukhune United.

HE HAS ALREADY MISSED TWO GAMES

The centre-back, who will be hoping to have healed from his injury when Bafana plays in next year's AFCON matches, has already missed Chiefs' last two games due to the knee injury. He has already ruled out of Bafana Bafana's upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin. Dortley looks set to be back during pre-season around June or July ahead of the 2025/26 PSL camping.

JUST WHEN HE WAS ANNOUNCED 

The injury to Dortley happened at a time when he and Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder Patrick "Tito" Maswanganyi had joined the PUMA South Africa family. The duo were signed last week as Puma's faces, who play for two of the biggest rivals, the Pirates and Chiefs. The two players also represent the national team in Bafana Bafana. He said about joining a team that has sponsored icons: "I signed with PUMA because it is a renowned sports brand with a rich history in football, having been associated with legendary players like Pele, Maradona, and Jomo Sono.