Jali in trouble?… two court cases pending

Andile Jali put in a Man of the Match performance for Mamelodi Sundowns over the weekend as the Brazilians defeated Chippa United 1- 0 in the Absa Premiership, and after the game coach Pitso Mosimane praised the midfielder.

Jali, however, has been in the media for the wrong reasons. The Sunday World published an article - “Jali faces expulsion over drinking problem” - on Sunday, October 28, indicating that the 28-year-old is facing the exit door.

According to the article, Jali allegedly “failed three pre-training breathalyser tests”. An independent source has since confirmed the news to the Siya crew and, while the crew attempted to verify the news with the player, his phone went straight to voicemail.

It seems that Jali is in hot water, not for the first time since returning from Belgium.

In May 2018, news broke in Mzansi that a player had been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. At the time, Tshwane Metro Police De- partment (TMPD) spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba was unable to divulge the player’s identity, though there was wide speculation of who the player was.

Jali was quick to react back in May, distancing himself from the incident. When a follower on Twitter asked if it was Jali that was arrested, the midfielder replied, “It’s not me please guys.”

The Siya crew, however, has now followed up with Mahamba, who has confirmed that the player that was arrested back in May is, in fact, Jali.

“Yes, I can confirm that the player that was arrested (back in May) was Andile Jali. At the time, I could not reveal his identity as he had not been charged with drunk and driving. He was then charged, and we now can reveal his name.”

Asked if he will be appearing in court next year, Mahamba replied, “He will still face trial, where he will be formerly charged. That is still the plan, yes. As I told you before, we give the laboratories up to one year to get the blood samples processed.”

Jali is in hot water and, while his ability on the field of play is not in question, his behaviour off it has set tongues wagging for the wrong reasons.

Jali, however, is facing another court case. The Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini, confirmed on Tuesday, October 30, that Andile Jali would appear in Hatfield Community Court after being charged for assault and malicious damage to property.

The Siya crew revealed the news on the Soccer Laduma website on Tuesday and will keep you updated on the latest happenings surrounding the player.

Contacted for comment, the club had not responded at the time of going to print, while the player was also unreachable.