I was mocked for Shalulile remarks - Da Gama
Sekhukhune United co-coach Owen Da Gama says he was mocked and laughed at when he said Namibian international Peter Shalulile, then his player at Highlands Park, was the best striker in the South African Premiership.
Da Gama says he finally feels vindicated for his early detection of Shalulile’s unmatched talent, thanks to the unbelievable run the Namibian has had this season and since joining Mamelodi Sundown from Highlands.
Shalulile, 28, is setting the DStv Premiership alight. Having already scored 22 times, he looks set to break Collins Mbesuma’s long-standing record of 25 league goals in a season.
The forward scored in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Da Gama’s Sekhukhune at Ellis Park. He scored the first back-to-back Premiership hattricks in Sundowns’ wins against Swallows FC and Golden Arrows last month.
“When I said two years ago that he is the best striker in the country, people laughed at me. But he is now breaking all kinds of records; he is the leading goal scorer in the top division, and those back-toback hat-tricks. Hopefully, he can break the [Mbesuma] record. I was hoping he wouldn’t break the record against us and score a hat-trick, but I think we planned very well,” said Da Gama, who at one point while still with Highlands insisted that the club would never sell Shalulile for no less than N$30 million.
When Shalulile wins the top goal scorer’s award in 2021/22, it will be the third time he bags a Golden Boot since he arrived in South Africa to join Highlands in 2015.
He was the National First Division (NFD)’s joint top scorer with Mwape Musonda on 15 goals when Highlands was promoted to the top-tier in 2017/18. In the 2019/20 Premiership season, Shalulile scored 16 goals for Highlands and won the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award.
“I’m so glad for him because he is the epitome of a professional player who is coachable, and who works hard. That boy works hard. He used to ask me to watch videos with him, he used to ask me for extra training,” reflects Da Gama.
“I no longer have hair because he was missing so many goals, and you know what I said to him? I said, ‘Keep on missing’.
“Initially, I was having a go at him, but I realised I shouldn’t put him under pressure, just encourage him. He worked hard, he never dropped his head, missing five goals in a game, and I told him one day he would score five in a match.
“He just kept on working and working. His lifestyle, his attitude, it’s just the epitome of a professional player, and hopefully that will allow others to see that the harder you work, the luckier you get. He works for his goals. He is an example, not only to strikers, but to any professional player in this country that you’ve got to put your career first and work very hard.”
Shalulile has three games against Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch FC and Royal AM to try to equal Mbesuma’s record, or set a new one.