Mike Makaab, agent of Andile Jali, has confirmed the latest twist about the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, confirming he has indeed stopped training at the club.
Jali, 32, is experiencing a tough time at Chloorkop and his heroics from 2021/22 that saw him clinch three Premier Soccer League awards are a far cry away.
He was named DStv Premiership Midfielder of the Season in 2021/22 and also winning the MTN8 Last Man Standing as well as the Nedbank Cup Player of the Season, but has only made 12 appearances this campaign so far.
His last game was a Nedbank Cup clash with Richards Bay on 7 February but he hasn’t been in the squad in the last three games, amid ongoing speculation around his future, with his current deal expiring by the end of June.
Last week, reports in local media claimed that Jali arrived under the influence of alcohol to training, as the lack go game-time is understood to have an impact on him. He had also fuelled the fire by posting a picture of arriving in his home town Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.
Makaab had initially confirmed that Jali had been home before stating on Gagasi FM on Monday that he returned to training with the Sundowns squad, while also stating that the player told him the issue had been resolved.
However, he has now made a u-turn and stated that Jali is not back in Masandawana training and it’s up to the club to take the next step.
“Andile Jali is not at training at the moment,” Makaab told FARPost.
“He [Jali] might return to the club soon, but the decision will be taken by the club.”
While Jali remains sidelined, Sundowns prepare for their massive CAF Champions League clash against Al Ahly at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
