Johannesburg - Andile Jali’s name was all over my Twitter timeline on Wednesday night as people praised him left, right and centre.
I was not surprised, though. I actually smiled and thought that this was a player who had risen to become a beacon of hope for the future of South African football.
Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba can build a team around the former Orlando Pirates man going forward. He has all the qualities to be Bafana’s main man in midfield as the national team look to restore the pride lost many years ago.
Jali was immense in midfield against Nigeria in midweek, proving to be the driving force as the new generation of Bafana Bafana players played to a goalless draw with the reigning African champions in Cape Town in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.
Jali, who won the Man of the Match award in arguably his best performance in a Bafana jersey, was his usual determined self in the middle of the park, challenging any player who posed a threat to the home team.
But there was more to Jali’s game, the guile to go with his guts.
His confidence on the ball, tactical awareness and desire to surge forward with the ball was a sight to behold.
He offers something else: Excitement, the unexpected, a glimpse of the future, and the ability to play without the baggage of over a decade of failure.
I watched him closely, against Sudan as well last week, and I’ve seen a lot of maturity in his game.
His move to Belgium in January seems to have helped improve his game and level of thinking. He knows when to make a pass, long or short, and when to move into space.
At times against Sudan last Friday, it was evident that Jali’s way of thinking and movement on and off the ball was at a higher level compared to the likes of Mandla Masango, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Themba Zwane and Oupa Manyisa.
Jali, a player with a big heart, is playing regularly in Belgium and after initially struggling to settle in Europe, it seems he is enjoying himself and is not thinking of returning to play his football in South Africa any time soon, which is good for him and the national team.
He has flourished in a short space of time and he can only get better.
He is proving that playing in Europe is the best way to improve your game as a player, and this should encourage more players in the PSL - especially the youngsters Mashaba selected for the qualifiers against Nigeria and Sudan - to make moves to Europe in the near future.
A couple more seasons in Belgium and then hopefully Jali can move to a bigger league, perhaps Spain or England, and play Uefa Champions League football on a regular basis. That will benefit Bafana Bafana and hopefully more players will follow suit and play in Europe’s biggest club competition so that the national team players can match the top players in the world when they meet on the pitch.
If Bafana qualify for the 2015 Cup of Nations in Morocco, then the players have a chance to showcase their talent at a major tournament.
And who knows who’ll be watching? In 2008, current Chelsea manager José Mourinho was at the Cup of Nations in Ghana and after the competition, the Portuguese coach signed Black Stars midfielder Sulley Muntari for Italian giants Inter Milan.
So, players such as Vilakazi and Keagan Dolly, who have a desire to move abroad, should impress whenever they get an opportunity to play for the national team.
Doing well at international level increases their chances of going overseas and maturing like Jali has.
Follow Tshepang on Twitter @T_Mailwane
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