After 18 frustrating months on the sidelines, Rushwin Dortley is finally edging closer to a return to competitive football.
The Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana defender has begun building up his match fitness, giving supporters fresh hope that the talented centre-back could soon be back in first-team contention.
Dortley takes another step towards his comeback
Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has confirmed that Dortley is gradually increasing his playing time.
The 23-year-old featured in a friendly last Friday before getting further minutes with the Kaizer Chiefs DDC side on Tuesday.
Da Cruz stressed, however, that the club will take a cautious approach rather than risk rushing Dortley back too soon.
“We will give him minutes but we will take time with him. We want to be sure that when he comes back he will be ready 100%,” Da Cruz said.
The message is clear: Dortley’s return is progressing, but Kaizer Chiefs want to make sure he is fully prepared before throwing him back into competitive first-team football.
A difficult 18-month journey
Dortley’s nightmare began on 1 March 2025, when he suffered a serious knee injury during Kaizer Chiefs’ league encounter with Mamelodi Sundowns.
The injury required surgery, but his rehabilitation proved more complicated than initially expected. Persistent discomfort and further complications eventually led to another procedure, ruling him out for the entire 2025/26 season.
After roughly 18 months away from competitive football, the defender is now finally getting valuable minutes under his belt.
A major boost for Kaizer Chiefs
Dortley’s return could give Da Cruz another quality option in central defence as the season develops.
The left-footed defender joined Kaizer Chiefs from Cape Town Spurs in July 2024 and quickly established himself as an exciting prospect. He made 21 appearances across all competitions during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, performances that also earned him recognition from Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.
Now, the focus is on completing the final stages of his comeback.
For Dortley, it is not simply a return from injury — it is an opportunity to restart a promising career that was interrupted just as it was beginning to take off.
