Chippa United midfield enforcer Andile Jali is satisfied with how the team’s pre-season have unfolded, though it hasn’t been without match-fitness challenges.
Jali joined the Chilli Boys in his home province in the Eastern Cape in July 2024 following six months of inactivity for a reported financial dispute with Moroka Swallows.
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The former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns captain spoke to iDiski Times senior writer Velile Mnyandu, in edition 169 of the newspaper, where he attributed the problem to the location of team which has in turn scuppered their match fitness as they had to travel inland to Gauteng for pre-season preparations.
“Besides the fact that we are based in Gqeberha and we are isolated from the rest of the teams, I can say that things have been going well, these small boys, they are coming,” Jali told iDiski Times.
“Even myself as a new player here at the club, I also understand what the coach [Kwanele Kopo] is expecting from us, in terms of play. Even though we are still lacking match fitness because we haven’t played a lot of friendly matches because we are isolated away in the EC. It’s difficult for us as players to have match fitness. Running and training doesn’t really help with match fitness, we need to play matches on a regular basis, that’s when you get fitter every time.
“We’ve been isolated in PE and only playing one team [Highbury] and that doesn’t help much to play only one team because you get tired from playing only one team because everything is always the same.
“So, it’s difficult to see your team’s progress, unlike teams here in Gauteng, they are spoilt for choice and their state of readiness for the new season can’t be questioned. That’s why we came here to Jozi, because most teams here are done with their pre-season training, but with us, it’s only now that the real pre- season training is starting.”
