Jali back to his best
Jali has made great strides this season, and this has not only been recognised by his club coach, but Bafana Bafana mentor Molefi Ntseki, too.
It seems Mamelodi Sundowns’ Pitso Mosimane might need to look into his crystal ball a bit more often because his prediction about midfielder Andile Jali was spot on.
Earlier this season, coach “Jingles” raised expectations on the former KV Oostende anchorman as he geared for his second year in Masandawana colours, having returned to the Premier Soccer League some 12 months prior.
Mosimane lauded Jali for his fitness routine as well as his work ethic before the campaign was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic.
Jali put in 90 minutes shifts against some strong opposition: Petro Luanda (Angola), USM Alger (Algeria), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) and Al Ahly (Egypt).
In his own words, shortly after collecting one of a few Man of the Match performances during the 2-1 victory over Golden Arrows to take the club to yet another Telkom Knockout final last year, Jali paid a tribute to his teammates for “pushing me”.
READ MORE: Pitso Mosimane wants preseason scrapped
“Coming back home from Europe, I always knew it was not going to be easy; however, Sundowns made the transition easier because I could feel I did not come back to just any team. It felt like family because I had all my brothers around me to help me settle in.
“With all the talent we have in the squad, making it in the starting line-up was not going to be a walk in the park, but my mind was set out for the task,” said Jali.
Jali has made great strides this season, and this has not only been recognised by his club coach, but Bafana Bafana mentor Molefi Ntseki, too.
The national team coach recalled “Mhlekazi” back to the Bafana fold after more than two years since he represented his country in a 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Sadio Mane’s Senegal during Stuart Baxter’s tenure.
Just two months ago, Ntseki named Jali in his 25-man squad to face Sao Tome and Principe in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Sundowns midfield kingpin will, however, have to wait a little longer to make his Bafana return.
“Another big task I knew I had was to represent my country. It really feels good to have seen a positive response to my goals I had coming back home.
“South African fans were what I was looking forward to seeing most again… hearing them cheer and feeling their passion from the stands,” said the 30-year-old midfielder.
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