Andile Jali claimed an unprecedented fourth ‘Treble’ this season with Mamelodi Sundowns and was one of the driving forces behind the success of The Brazilians in their clean sweep of domestic trophies on offer in 2021-22.
The 32-year-old has seen a resurgence in his form this campaign and in any other season might have been named PSL Footballer of the Year, denied only this term by the sheer weight of goals from teammate Peter Shalulile.
His excellence has been rewarded with three more trophies, taking his career tally to 14, which includes four ‘Treble’ seasons, two each with Orlando Pirates and Sundowns.
That trophy haul might well have been higher were it not for the four-and-a-half seasons he spent outside the PSL at Belgian side KV Oostende.
Jali was barely out of his teens when he helped Pirates to their ‘Double Treble’ in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, when they claimed back-to-back DStv Premiership titles and MTN8 victories, adding the Nedbank Cup (2010-11) and Telkom Knockout (2011-12) as well.
Those were heady days for the club when they were the best in the land and he was a key part of it, helping The Buccaneers to the 2013 Caf Champions League final as well before departing months later for Belgium.
He returned to the South African game with Sundowns at the start of the 2018-19 season and has won the league title every year since then, claiming his fourth in a row this term.
He won a third ‘Treble’ in the 2019-20 campaign as The Brazilians won the league, last ever Telkom Knockout and Nedbank Cup, and has repeated the feat this term with the league, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.
That led to him being named the best midfielder in the PSL and the end of season awards, as well as the best player in the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup competitions. Were it not for Shalulile, he would surely have won best player in all three domestic competitions.
“The performances have been indicative of his personality,” says Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena of Jali. “A couple of years ago, they called him 'Napoleon, the Dynamo' and that’s what he shows: his leadership qualities and tenacity.
“His overall experience to assist the team in difficult moments. We are very fortunate to have him and the entire group. AJ is just a reflection of the entire group.
“His level of consistency, ability to play from a psychological perspective, with the same engagement and attachment even after good performances has been exceptional.
“Giving performances where you are getting averages of seven or eight for every match this season is probably the most difficult thing in football for a player. But he needs to be given praise for all the hard work.”
One thing that has been admirable for Jali is the number of matches he has played, featuring in 40 of the team’s 49 games in all competitions.
That is a high number for a player past his 30th birthday who has struggled in the past with fitness issues.
Not only is it a test of his endurance, but also mental strength to play so many matches in a highly competitive squad.
And there is no sign he is slowing up either. Who would bet against Jali winning a fifth ‘Treble’ next season?
ANDILE JALI’S CAREER TROPHY HAUL
DStv Premiership (6): 2010-11, 2011–12, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22
MTN 8 (3): 2010, 2011, 2021
Nedbank Cup (3): 2011, 2020, 2022
Telkom Knockout (2): 2011, 2019
ANDILE JALI’S DOMESTIC TREBLES
2010-11: DStv Premiership, MTN8, Nedbank Cup
2011-12: DStv Premiership, MTN8, Telkom Knockout
2019-20: DStv Premiership, Telkom Knockout, Nedbank Cup
2021-22: DStv Premiership, MTN8, Nedbank Cup