Maestro of Makhulong nearly gave up on his dream of playing in SA
Highlands Park sharpshooter Peter Shalulile nearly gave up on his SA dream
● Speed. That’s the word that springs to mind when one thinks of the Highlands Park galloping hot property, Peter Shalulile.
It would seem everything Shalulile does has to happen with a certain degree of urgency, just as he does when he makes those darting forays into the opposition’s danger area to score a goal or two.
Even this interview looked in jeopardy as Shalulile was already pacing up and down in the corridors of Highlands’ training grounds in Balfour Park, Johannesburg, on Thursday, wondering if it would really happen.
But once Shalulile was assured everything was in order, he quickly transferred all his speed and mind to talking about his journey to SA from the humble streets of Outapi on the northern side of Namibia where he was born 26 years ago.
The striker is the last born and only boy after three sisters from his parents Jonas and Menete, who now live in Windhoek.
It all began in that tournament
Shalulile came to Johannesburg in June 2015, a few days after being spotted by Highlands scouts playing in Moruleng Stadium in North West where he was starring for Namibia in the Cosafa Cup which the Namibians won after beating Mozambique 2-0.
“It all began in that tournament for me,” says Shalulile, who signed for Highlands from Namibian side Tura Magic.
But it was after Shalulile had scored 15 goals to help Highlands regain their place in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in 2017-18 season that people started to notice his prowess in front of goal.
“It took time. You have to blend in, you have to adjust to certain things in life, like your new environment, a new country,” he says.
“The first six months were bad — to the point that I thought, eish, maybe I should just go home because this is not my level.”
Throwing in the towel was, however, not an option for the Namibian international having left home and school early, against the advice of his mom, to concentrate on his football career.
“Not giving up and always wanting to do extra work at training is what changed things for me,” recalls Shalulile.
“What also helped is the fact that coach Owen da Gama never lost hope in me. He always believed I can improve as a striker.”
That improvement in Shalulile’s form and confidence came in tandem with Highlands retaining their place in the PSL last season. Da Gama’s team finished in a creditable seventh spot on the Absa Premiership table.
It is in the current campaign, though, where Shalulile has really shone, especially
at his team’s slaughterhouse, the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa, where seven of his 12 league and three Nedbank Cup goals have come.
“It’s like anyone,” Shalulile explains why they’re so strong in Makhulong, “if you’re at your house and someone wants to come fight you, you just know what to do because you know what the possibilities are.”
Mosimane open about his admiration
He smiles when told he could follow in the footsteps of Zambia’s Mwape Musonda as a top scorer in both the PSL and National First Division if he adds three or more goals to his league tally.
Musonda finished as the PSL top scorer with 16 goals last season. The Black Leopards striker had achieved the same feat with Shalulile in the NFD in the 2017-18 campaign when they jointly top-scored with 15 strikes.
Shalulile’s fine progress has not gone without attracting the eyes of the bigger clubs, both locally and internationally.
He dreams of playing in Europe where his idol and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o was once a king of goals.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is open about his admiration for Da Gama’s asset.
“I’m really honoured to be spoken of highly by one the greatest coaches in Africa. It depends on the club. I’m not scared of new challenges, but my main thing now is to play outside the country,” he says.
“As a player why do you want to play local if you can go overseas? It’s not about money, but it’s about fulfilling your dreams.”