Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Andile Jali is pleased that he has reached his objectives since returning to South Africa from Belgium.

The 30-year-old returned to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) a season ago when he joined Sundowns, but struggled for game time during the 2018-19 campaign and could only manage 16 appearances across all competitions.

However, Jali played a crucial role during the 2019-20 campaign and earned a regular place in the Sundowns first-team set-up before the league was suspended.

Jali’s impressive performances for the Brazilians also caught the eye of Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki, who included him in his squad to face Tome e Principe in March, but the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

‘Another big task I knew I had was to represent my country. It really feels good to have seen a positive response to my goals I had coming back home,’ Jali told his club’s official website.

‘But most of all the South African fans were one of the things I was looking forward to seeing again. Hearing them cheer and feeling their passion from the stands.’