The Lion King is back

Barney Ronay in admitting that he was wrong to write off Mo Salah said, "to err is human, to forgive divine. To err massively and hilariously is also human". Many South African football fans and pundits will relate massively to this given how wrong they were to write off Andile Jali's career when he moved to Mamelodi Sundowns. When he signed for Sundowns in July of 2018, very few would have imagined Andile Jali as being a key part of any success that the club would achieve. Mhlekazi, as he is affectionately known, joined Sundowns on a free transfer after leaving KV Oostende in April of 2018. Jali was seen by many at that time, as nothing but a squad player since the club already had Hlompho Kekana, Tiyani Mabunda, Oupa Manyisa, and Lucky Mohomi in midfield. His first season at the club was far from impressive. He looked overweight, struggled with injuries, and could not keep up with the pace in most games, often making headlines for his off the field antics. He only made a total of 16 appearances in all competitions for Sundowns during the 2018/19 season. His limited game time left many pundits and fans feeling vindicated, believing that he would end up just like Benedict Vilakazi who opted for a move to Downs after his failed stint in Europe, instead of Orlando Pirates.

Joining a star-studded team such as Mamelodi Sundowns has led to the demise of some players' careers over the years due to the stiff competition for places at the club. Katlego Mashego, in a Soccer Laduma interview, speaking about the difficulties of joining a club like Sundowns once said:

"What happens to you as a player if a move doesn't go well is entirely up to you. Sometimes we just need to take responsibility for our actions and be man enough about it. Crying and blaming people won't do anything for you".

Andile Jali didn't blame anyone for his shortcomings in his first season at Downs. In fact, he looked in better shape, positive, pumped up, and ready for the 2019/20 campaign when the club reported for their assessments before pre-season training.

CAF Champions League

Jali was awarded a new lease on life at Sundowns by being given a run in the CAF Champions League. He looked solid in his first few appearances in the preliminary stages of the competition. He started all the games whilst his midfield partners kept changing. Despite this, there were questions once again over his ability to step up and cement his place in Pitso Mosimane's star-studded team.

As usual, he answered his doubters in emphatic fashion. Jali was tasked with being Hlompho Kekana's partner in midfield against Petro Luanda in the CAF Champions League group stages. He started all Champions League matches and was often a standout performer for the Tshwane side, up until they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the competition by Al Ahly. That is a total of 12 matches where he played 90 minutes in all games (including games played in the preliminary stages). It was during the Champions League campaign where Andile proved just how crucial a player he would become at Sundowns , and as they say, the rest is history.

Absa Premiership

There were, however, still questions over whether Jali could really cement his place at the club. The Absa Premiership is a different league to what he used to be. Would he have what it takes to make the cut at Sundowns? Does he still have the quality he showed before leaving for Europe in 2014? Could he dominate the midfield the way he used to?

The answer to all these questions is an emphatic yes. Andile Jali has found his rhythm once again. He showed this when he was awarded his first start of the season against Black Leopards on the 2nd of October 2019. Thohoyandou is a tough stadium to play in, and to go there and play the full 90 minutes without making a lot of mistakes was a sign of what we were to expect from this new and rejuvenated Andile Jali, different to the Jali who looked overweight and sluggish in his first season. He has missed just missed five Absa Premiership games since the start of the season. He missed just one match as Sundowns went on to clinch the 2019 Telkom Knockout where he, again, was a standout performer.

The King is back

While he may have started his season slowly, Jali has shown his indisputable class and quality, where he has won a handful of Man of the Match awards in the league as well as in the Nedbank Cup. There is no fear in his game anymore. He is not afraid to make mistakes like he was in his first season. He looks in a much better place mentally and looks the part physically. Andile Jali, a player once written off when he opted for a move to Sundowns, even by some sections of the yellow brigade, is proving that he can hold his own at the club.