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Jali dedicates award to medical team, teammates

Downs star named PSL player of the month

Neville Khoza Journalist
Andile Jali was named December Player of the Month and dedicated the award to the club's medical team after his hamstring injury.
Andile Jali was named December Player of the Month and dedicated the award to the club's medical team after his hamstring injury.
Image: supplied

Mamelodi Sundowns midfield maestro Andile Jali gave credit to the team's medical department and his teammates for his impressive run which saw him being named the December Player of the Month yesterday.

He dedicated the award to the club's medical team and his teammates for helping him to come back stronger after his hamstring injury.

Jali beat his teammate Peter Shalulile, Orlando Pirates striker Kwame Peprah, Chippa United’s Bienvenu Eva Nga and Royal AM striker Victor Letsoalo.

The 31-year-old was outstanding in December for the Brazilians and feels that he could not have achieved it without his medical team and his teammates.

“Our medical team has worked hard towards my hamstring because they kept on encouraging me with what exercises to do every day. They played a role to be where I am now,” Jali told the club media department.

“I also want to give thanks to my teammates, because I wouldn’t have got it alone if it wasn’t because of them... it was a team effort and it shows there is something we are doing.”

Jali is also proud to have picked up the award after playing 16 league matches and scored one goal for Sundowns

“I’m happy with the award and I want to thank all the people who saw my effort during that December month. It shows that there was something more I was doing than what other people were not.”

Having endured a difficult month where every team had to play back-to-back matches last month, the midfielder added that they had to remain disciplined throughout and they are happy with what they have achieved.

“It shows we worked hard as a team during that month even though our games were difficult and they were all back-to-back.

"But we managed to get out as we knew what we wanted even though we didn’t get all that we wanted.

“It was difficult, but as a team, we did manage to recover knowing that every two days, we had a game. As a team, we were professional to show that we need to help the coaches to be disciplined despite it being the festive period.”

Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, who won the Premiership goal of the month for his left-footed strike against Maritzburg in their 2-0 win at FNB Stadium on December 22, also refused to take credit alone. 

“I think it was a good goal, but I think we created the goal as a team, the way we circulated the ball it was very good,” Ngcobo told the Chiefs media department.

“With Njabulo Blom finding me, I was able to turn and finish. I was there to finish, but it was a team goal.”

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