Peter Shalulile

The Namibia international has adapted well to the high-pressure environment at Mamelodi Sundowns, but says there is room for improvement.

Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile admits that he would have scored more goals had it not been for rushing in the box – an element of his game that he is working on. In the meantime, goals and assists are raining for the honest hard worker who spoke to KICK OFF’s Lovemore Moyo about also aiming to bring his ‘A’ game every time he plays.

KICK OFF: Paanganga, you were born into an environment which toughened you up in the village of Eengolo, Namibia before moving to Windhoek to start your schooling … Peter Shalulile:

I experienced herding cattle and goats because that is the kind of place I was born. Waking up in the morning and spending the day in the bush, then coming back home late afternoon hungry. I believe it was worth it for me to go through that waking up early so that by seven you are already far away in a place where you can chill. If you wanted water, you drink from the river and something to eat had to fall from a tree. It shaped me into who I am today.

Yet how does it feel to be Peter Shalulile now who is living it up as a Mamelodi Sundowns player?

[Laughing] It is a blessing. It really feels good, even though it’s not easy. I say not easy because at the club where I am playing now, I must always give my best at every given time. Otherwise, I am just a normal guy who wants to work hard and see other people do good as well.

But you are now in a different environment that can even affect your character…

I understand what you are saying because I know at times you can change the way you behave and start moving away from people you have always known. But then people will always have opinions about you, whatever happens. In my case I am still the Peter that people have known since I came to South Africa. I remain the hard-working guy that you have always known at Highlands Park. I still train every day and always want to improve. My life has obviously improved now because I am at Sundowns, so financially I am getting there, even though I cannot help everyone.

It is not secret that moving to Sundowns changes your life for the better and we have seen that with a lot of players …

It is not easy being at Sundowns because new friends want to come on board. I know you can leave your old friends and find new people not knowing whether it is for the good or bad. That is how life is at times because the people you started with are not the people that you will finish with, but just make sure those are the people that you help when and where you can. I have always preached that family is number one no matter how much money I might have. Money can be there and get finished, but the best thing is always to have a smiling family. I find joy in providing things that they couldn’t have before. I want to take care of my family

“I REMAIN THE HARD-WORKING GUY THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN AT HIGHLANDS PARK.”

the way I promised I would. Both my parents are retired, with the old man in farming after leaving the military. He doesn’t know much about football, but he enjoys watching me playing and gives me good advice all the time, even though with football I always must explain things over and over to him, especially the offside rule!

How are you dealing with the change on the field that comes with playing for Sundowns compared to Highlands?

When you come to Sundowns that is when you realise how much we want to dominate, so for me as a player coming from Highlands it was a challenge. But I had to learn and fit into how

the team plays. It has not been easy, and I am still learning and getting all the encouragement I will ever need from the three coaches and my teammates. It is a blessing to have such people around you who try to make you fit into the system. Playing upfront for Sundowns means I can move across the frontline and get to have many touches on the ball, which calls for one to be comfortable on the ball, helping you grow to become more confident, and from that you create more chances. The togetherness here at Sundowns is just unbelievable. With regards to fans not being at games, we made peace with their absence a long time ago, but I still wish to see them back in because I remember being at Highlands and seeing Masandawana in the stands and wishing I could play for their team. That t ime the stadium will be yellow with abou ut 10 red {Highlands fans]. Even though th he fans are not at the stadium we still make sure that we are playing for them.

What drove you to settle on joining Sundowns?

I always wanted to play Champ pions League and win it as well, while becoming b a better player, so that is why I ch hose Sundowns. The plus for me is tha at I am familiar with travelling on the co ntinent, but then I now get to evaluate myself m more often. But I now understan d just how amazing it is that Sundown s can play Champions League and d still compete so strong on the domestic scene, winning the league and cups.

And your CV is desperately in need of silverware …

That is the one thing that you will always desire as a player r.

You want your CV to show that you y have gold medals so that is why we ar re pushing the way we do. I am grateful for being b at Sundowns and that they made t he effort to sign me and the only thing th at I can do now is to repay them with my hard work and score goals. I am around people who know the feeling of winning things and just don’t want that feeling to go away. When you come to people who are always positive while you were negative, it rubs off on you and you become positive. When I got here my mentality changed into wanting to win every match that we play. Here at Sundowns we want to win every match and win every trophy. This is the mentality that I found the guys here and I have adopted it.

You are already in double figures on the scoring charts for the second year in a row, which is rare in domestic football …

I always say that wherever or whichever team you come to join is because of the quality that is in you. For me I am just happy that my teammates are there to help me score and I always try my best not to miss a lot of opportunities. I always work on getting more opportunities and burying them. I would have had scored more goals than I have done now if it wasn’t for some bad misses.

In as much you score, you can also be wasteful and have been constantly criticised for not being clinical enough…

It is a part of my game that I still need to work on. With any given chance I should become more clinical than I am in front of goals. It is not going to happen overnight, but it is something that I am working on and w will happen as soon as next week. My strug ggles in the box are due to the fact that I am always in a rush and it is something that I am working on. Composure is always nee eded because the more I rush, the mor re I miss and when I am calm that is whe en I score.

Th his season not only are you scoring, but y you are also contributing with assis sts as well. Is this down to the qual ity around you?

As Sundowns we are a family that helps each other to score and assist. It doesn’t matt er who scores because we are a team m. We believe more in moving forward toget ther. Then obviously the quality that I am h having around me is the best that you can ever e find. When you are around such peop ple it rubs off on you to becoming a bette er player.

“WHEN I GOT HERE MY MENTALITY CHANGED INTO WANTING TO WIN EVERY MATCH.”

Why do you think you settled so quickly at Sundowns, because you got going right away?

I have learnt to listen when spoken to and I have learnt to understand how the team plays. Then I have brought my heart and hard work into all this, which has taken me to the level where I am today. Coming to Sundowns was what I wanted so I had to come prepared and I have made the effort to understand how the team functions. I have tried my level best to understand and I am still learning, which is why I am still making mistakes that I am then rectifying. I will get better with every game that I play. You know I was taught that ‘suffer now and enjoy later’ and in all the years that I was suffering, I was being prepared for a better place which is where I am now.

How is the camaraderie amongst the players in attack from whom the bulk of goals are expected like yourself, Kermit Erasmus and Themba Zwane?

To sum up the solidarity here we have an amazing brotherhood because we are all working towards one goal. We are always pushing each other and happy for each other. I have found the guys here to be honest enough to be carried by this amazing brotherhood spirit. This is a space where you know the guy competing with you is genuinely supporting you and when he gets his chance, you will support him in the same brotherhood way.

What kind of review of your games are you doing considering how much attention is paid to detail at Sundowns?

You know, they say to whom much is given, much is expected. Here they want you to be on your ‘A-Game’ in all matches and that is why the club is where they are today. Like coach Rhulani [Mokwena] always says, it is the little details that make you a better player, which turns you into a better team. Here we listen to the technical team and then work towards a common goal. It is a full day’s work here at Sundowns because you are expected to play your part.

Having shared the top goalscorer award with Gabadinho Mhango last season, how much do you want it this term?

To be honest with you, we want everyone to score goals here at Sundowns. That is how we operate as a group. We want everyone to score as many goals as they can. As an individual, my target is always to end up with at least 12 league goals. If I score more then I will take it, the same way I took it last season. Then in the cups I target another five. Yes, I am a striker who has to score goals and wants to do so, but what is most important is that the team wins games and ends up higher than all other teams in the league.

Given your injury history, how are you avoiding playing with that sense of fear of getting injured again?

I have left everything in God’s hands. Whenever I take to the field I always say if ever something must happen it is out of my control. It is God’s destiny for me. I can never go onto the field with fear of getting injured because I know that if ever I am to get injured it is beyond my control. It is neither my decision nor my intention.

“I CAN NEVER GO ONTO THE FIELD WITH FEAR OF GETTING INJURED.”