South Africa needs Jali!
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, Andile Jali, produced his best performance for the Chloorkopbased side on Saturday against Chippa United, since returning to South Africa and signing for the club in June.
Jali grabbed the chance given to him by coach Pitso Mosimane and ran with it, producing a Man of the Match performance and it came as no surprise when the Downs supporters showed their appreciation after the final whistle. It was a beautiful scene to see the supporters singing their hearts out in celebration of Jali’s wonder performance and it certainly wasn’t a signal of him hitting the ceiling but rather a start of things to come.
The well- rounded performance by the man affectionately known as mXhosa in Mdantsane this past weekend reminded us of the player we’ve known, a player we’ve always had high hopes for, a talent with so much potential still to be fulfilled, a leader, a brave warrior, someone who never shies away from responsibility, a captain without an armband, a dedicated professional, a teammate everyone player wishes for, a player every coach needs in his team and someone every supporter would be proud to be represented by. Everybody’s dream footballer.
It came as no surprise that Mosimane sang praises of his player, who clearly seems to be on the right track. “He is getting there slowly, he has not reached his maximum. He and (Hlompho) Kekana are showing leadership and experience. He is getting there, he will get better with time, he is a Bafana Bafana player… Last week he had one chance to score, tonight he hit the post and he had another one where he could have crossed to somebody. As a central midfielder, it means he is slowly coming out of the shell and he is getting the right timing to get into the box.”
The 28-year-old midfielder has always proved his worth from his days at Pretoria University and one can’t get over the confi- dence he showed in his very first interview with Soccer Laduma, after joining star-studded Orlando Pirates midfield and bravely told everyone who cared to listen that he wasn’t scared of the tough competition and that he wasn’t at Bucs just to add numbers. That was quite a statement from a then 19-yearold who was relatively unknown and on the verge of getting his biggest gig in his football career. He was to make his Absa Premiership debut and had stiff competition from experienced campaigners like Teko Modise, Benson Mhlongo, Oupa Manyisa, Dennis Masina, Lebohang Mothibantwa, Mlungisi Gumbi, to mention just a few, and the Matatiele-born delivered on his promise as he amassed 23 league starts under coach Ruud Krol in his debut season.
Such confidence and arrogance has been the trademark of Jali’s career from day one and it doesn’t matter where he is or who he is coming up against, he always believes he can do better than the next person. That self-assurance has always been what separates him from the rest but, like in everything in life, your biggest strength is always your biggest weakness.
If there is one player coach Stuart Baxter should be building his Bafana Bafana team around, it is Andile Jali, because of the big heart and no-nonsense attitude he exudes. His presence and dominance on the field, whether it is against Xavi Alonso or Obi Mikel, is always a marvel to watch. It also brushes off on his teammates and they walk onto the field with a winning mentality and feeling indomitable. On his day, he brilliantly and admirably breaks the opposition play with ease, his reading of the game is second to none, he initiates the play as well as he protects his back four. He is also very good at dictating the pace of the game and bringing that much-needed calming effect. Jali is just a pure class act.
I hope one day he wakes up and realises just how good he really is and the level he can possibly reach before calling time on his career. That he would get out of his comfort zone and start challenging himself even more because, off the many players we’ve exported recently, Jali was one I was banking on not to come back anytime soon and rather to go on and take over from Steve Pienaar as the most recent player to command a regular berth in the English Premier League or one of the biggest leagues in the world. No one can argue that a fit Jali can hold his own in any of the world’s biggest leagues. The question is, does he believe it? Does he see the need to go there? Only he can answer those questions.
Mosimane’s words may not be fulfilled if the continuous reported off-the-field problems are not nipped in the bud as soon as possible. Jali has been in the news for all the wrong reasons and the latest rumours doing the rounds from last weekend couldn’t have come at a worst time, after such a polished performance on Saturday. It is like someone taking two steps forward and five backwards. South Africa and Sundowns need a fully focused Jali and anything less than that might, sadly, see another South African potential that was never fulfilled. It would be heartbreaking to see Jali going down the same route as some of those before him. It still hurts, to this day, to think of what could have become of Mbulelo Mabizela’s talent had he remained focussed on his career. Think of Masibusane Zongo, Erwin Isaacs, Junaid Hartley, Jabu ( Pule) Mahlangu, Lerato Chabangu… (the list is endless... fill in the missing lads).