Mamelodi Sundowns and Andile Jali's relationship is all but dead and buried! AJ15 has not been seen anywhere near the club's Chloorkop base since it became evident that his days at the club were numbered. This, amid the fanfare around his possible exit from the Brazilians as the term of his stay expires in June.
Jali's future has been a deep subject of discussion because of the interest aroused by the situation the Matatiele-born midfielder finds himself in. The club's coaches have tried to navigate their way around it in press conferences as much as they could, without much convincing to those watching from a distance. It happens all the time that players and coaches' contracts expire and not get renewed, but it has become crystal clear that the negotiations between Downs and Jali's camp were not going as well as they should or were expected to. From a distance, it is even easy to point out and claim that the deadlock in negotiations has strained the relations between the parties involved. Why would anyone think that? Someone might be asking themselves. Well, if there was no hostility, the parties involved would have agreed to disagree on their respective proposals and moved on. It wouldn't have been the first time that a player's contract has not been renewed or their wishes not being granted. Players have come and gone.
A few seasons ago, no one saw Hlompho Kekana's departure from Sundowns coming, but it happened. The same could be said about Lucky Lekgwathi and Happy Jele at Orlando Pirates, but life goes on. These are key players and legends of their respective clubs and just three of a litany of surprising moves that happened in football, in the same way Jali's has caught attention. It wouldn't have been anything new to see Jali leave Sundowns, but what a perfect ending it would have been for him to say his official goodbye to the club's passionate supporters on May 20 after the final whistle against Maritzburg United at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, where the Brazilians will officially be crowned as the DStv Premiership Champions for a record sixth time in a row! Imagine Jali featuring in that game, even if it is a cameo role, just as a send-off and closure to what appeared to be a match made in heaven between him and the Chloorkop-based outfit.
That is obviously only in an ideal world, but we live in a real world. Jali reportedly stopping training with Sundowns, as revealed by the Siya crew, was a further indication of strained relations. No one can stand here and claim to know the nitty-gritties of the whole situation between Jali and Sundowns, except for the two parties. No one can say Jali was expelled from the Chloorkop base, the contract was terminated by mutual consent or Jali walked out on Sundowns because he was not happy with their proposal. You see, we are here because there has been no official information and lack of information stimulates people's minds. They start searching for information and ultimately believe what they want to believe, especially when there's dead silence from the parties concerned. Here is a question for both Andile Jali and Mamelodi Sundowns: Did it really have to end this way? As things stand, it looks like your relationship has gone sour and, although it is not confirmed yet, you've gone your separate ways! AJ15 has been actively posting on social media away from the Beautiful Game while the Brazilians continue with their rich form on the field of play.
No one can really take sides because, again, no one knows what really happened between the two, whether Jali walked away after disagreeing on terms and the club respected his wish or the club decided to terminate with immediate effect after failing to reach an agreement on the new deal. What normally happens in cases like these, the club would state their case by either releasing an official statement or calling a press conference to set the record straight. The biggest disappointment about the whole fiasco is just how well Jali was doing for coach Rhulani Mokwena's side and how important a role Sundowns played in reviving his career. This was a match made in heaven, as mentioned earlier, and everyone understands and accepts player movements when things change. However, surely there could have been a better way of handling this situation than the way it has been allowed to play itself out! This is just not the way to end things! Here we were, celebrating the return of AJ15, which was not only great for him and Sundowns but for South African football at large.
We were watching Sundowns, feeling indebted to them for giving a chance to another local talent that could have easily be spoken of in the past tense by now, and to see Andile playing such an important part in the Tshwane giants' success was just a sight to behold! At 33, it was bound to happen that he falls down the pecking order, at some point, especially with the young talent at the side's disposal, but the least we expected was to see him continue until the end of the season, bid his farewell properly, give a proper 'Thank You' to Sundowns and close this chapter of his life and career properly. By so doing, Jali would then set himself up for a better start at his next club, as he would join them fully it and carrying the momentum from the previous season. He would start on a clean slate, great state of mind and physically ready for the new challenge ahead, with his emotions at a right place. It would be sad to know that Jali and Downs turned their backs on a sour note. That would leave a bitter taste because even if they couldn't find each other, the season was almost over and they could have tolerated one another until May 20th at least.
One hopes, despite everything, there was some kind of a behind-the-scenes send-off that took place rather than an abrupt exit through the Chloorkop-based club's gates. Regardless of what happened, it is difficult to fathom why the two parties couldn't hang in there until the end of the season. Having said that, it certainly didn't have to end like this! On a sad note, it came as a big surprise and shock to learn of the passing of legendary Mamelodi Sundowns communications manager, Alex Shakoane, who had been part of the team's furniture for as long as one can recall. A steadfast Downs supporter through and through, Bra Alex will be sorely missed by everyone in the football fraternity. He leaves a huge void in our game and the visits to the club's headquarters will never be the same again. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, Sundowns and everyone who knew the charismatic "Goldfingers". May his soul rest in peace.
