Self-discipline helps Dortley find his feet at Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley has attributed his meteoric rise since joining Amakhosi from Cape Town Spurs in July to knowing that he's in Johannesburg solely for work.

Dortley, who has started all Chiefs' seven games this season, is certain to start again when they face Richards Bay in the league at Peter Mokaba Stadium tonight (7.30pm).

With his usual central-defensive partner and fellow newcomer Inacio Miguel suspended, Dortley is expected to start alongside Given Msimango at the heart of defence tonight. Dortley has not only established himself as a starter at Chiefs but he's also a Bafana Bafana regular now at the age of 22.

The lad from Belhar in Cape Town has opened up about seamlessly adapting to life in Johannesburg, while a number of Cape footballers in the past such as Franklin Cale, Erwin Isaacs, Dominic Isaacs, Eleazar Rodgers and Carlo Scott, among others, struggled to impress after joining Joburg teams from the Mother City.

“The past few months must have been a dream come true. It's not easy for someone to just come to a club as big as this and start games and go into Bafana and start games there as well, continuously. I am blessed. What has helped me to adapt to life in Johannesburg so quickly is staying focused. I understand that I came to Joburg for work and not for other things,'' Dortley stated.

“My family is also making things easier for me by visiting now and then. They [his family] keep telling me to stick to the good things that I did in Cape Town.

“All the players have their own different experiences and their way of adapting to different environments. Every player that's in Cape Town don't have to look at other players that didn't adapt well here in Joburg ... they have to come to see for themselves because every person is different.''

Dortley sees no real difference between his hometown and Joburg, albeit he bemoans “hectic traffic” in the City of Gold.

The Chiefs star suggested he spends most of his time indoors. “I don't see the difference between Cape Town and Johannesburg because for me it's just training and going home every day. I don't go out unless I have to go buy food. Everyone knows that the traffic is bad here in Joburg ... it's hectic and you have to leave an hour early to get somewhere,'' Dortley said.

Dortley also insisted they weren't setting lofty ambitions at Chiefs, focusing on their next two games against Bay and Royal AM, both at Peter Mokaba Stadium tonight and Saturday.

“Our focus is on the next two games, coming up in Polokwane against Richards Bay and Royal AM. The best thing is always to set short-term goals rather than setting long-term goals because you are in control of short-term goals,'' Dortley said.

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