Thabo September took a thoughtful stance when asked about Andile Jali’s fitness. Notably, the midfielder’s weight has changed, which may raise concerns about his fitness.
The former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns midfield grafter has started 10 matches, coming off the bench thrice in Chippa colours.
Jali was an unused substitute in the game against TS Galaxy in Mbombela last Saturday in the Betway Premiership. He then came on as a sub in the 3-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday in a Nedbank Cup round of 16.
“He’s fine. He’s a player just like anyone else. What do you mean?” September told FARPost after the 1-0 loss to TS Galaxy. “Andile is here; he’s a Chippa United player, like other players….”
Prior to his weight gain, Jali made a memorable Chippa debut in September 2024, scoring against his former club, Orlando Pirates. He then earned Man of the Match honours three months ago in a 2-0 victory over Golden Arrows.
‘JALI IS A KEY PART OF THE TEAM’ – SEPTEMBER
Following the 3-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup Last 16 at FNB Stadium on Sunday night, September stressed that the former Bafana Bafana midfielder was key at the Chilli Boys.
“For AJ, he’s playing his part in terms of the team and what we wanted him to do,” he told journalists in the post-match interview.
“He’s helping the young players to grow. We are introducing the likes of Giovanni [Philander] and Papama [Tyongwana]. We are introducing other boys, like Boy Madingwane. So, he’s helping us in that regard.”
Philander, a left winger, started the tie against Amakhosi and played 78 minutes. Madingwane came on as a sub and played the last 23 minutes of the game. On the other hand, Tyongwana was an unused substitute.
The former SuperSport United captain, September, is confident ‘AJ’ still has a lot to contribute on the field. He revealed that he struggled with a muscle injury recently.
“On the field, he still has a big part to play. He had had a muscle strain two to three weeks back. So, he’s coming back from that, but as soon as he’s back into top shape, he’s a key part of the team.”
The Eastern Cape side visits Cape Town City FC on Tuesday for their next Betway Premiership encounter.
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