GARY HOLT has revealed Dolly Menga looks set to leave Livingston after being allowed to explore a move to Angola.
The 26-year-old will miss Saturday’s Betfred Cup kick-off against Falkirk after being granted permission to travel to Africa.
The former Lierse, Braga and Blackpool striker is desperate to force his way back into the Angola national side and believes a switch to the country could help his cause.
Should he leave the Lions, Menga is expected to pen a new deal at Almondvale and go on loan, with Girabola runners-up – and African Champions League qualifiers – Atlético Petróleos de Luanda understood to be vying for his signature.
The departure of Belgium-born Menga, who has 10 international caps, so close to the start of the new season would be a blow for Livingston but Holt believes it is only right to allow him to follow up on the interest.
The Almondvale boss said: “We’ve allowed Dolly to travel to Angola so he’ll be missing this weekend.
“He wants to get back in the national side and one of the top Angolan sides has made a loan offer to take him. He’s prepared to sign another deal here to go and get that chance.
“Dolly made it clear he would like to go and explore that opportunity, so I am not going to stand in anyone’s way.
“It’s in Dolly’s hands to go and explore that avenue.
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“Sometimes you’ve just got to thank players for being honest with you and if it doesn’t happen then we’ll welcome him back with open arms and he’ll be back part of our squad.
“At the end of the day you want happy players, players who want to be here and playing every week.
“While he still wants to be part of it, and he went to Hungary with us for pre-season, this is an opportunity that he is keen to explore.”
Meanwhile, Holt insists Livingston want to hit the ground running in the Betfred Cup with a victory against old club Falkirk tomorrow.
He added: “We want to win it, we want to go as far as possible, but also accepting that we’re still in the early stages [of preparations for the season].
“We’re going in to win every single game, first and foremost. We want to get out of the group and we want to hit the ground running.
“It’s as simple as that, and the players have been told that. It’s not a pre-season, its not a friendly, it’s a competitive game that we want to win.”
