Namibian forward Peter Shalulile was the match winner for Mamelodi Sundowns at the weekend but does he have a future at the club?
Shalulile came off the bench to help Sundowns claim a 2-1 win away to Congolese side Maniema Union in the CAF Champions League on Saturday, with his late equaliser added to an own goal that he initiated, doing the job for the Brazilians who are now within touching distance of a place in the quarter-final.
However, while the Sundowns fans are celebrating, Sha Sha, as most like to call him, might not be at the club for long, going by his significantly reduced minutes this season.
Once untouchable, Shalulile now has to contend with spells on the bench, having fallen behind new signing Iqraam Rayners in the pecking order.
‘Sha Sha’ is a legend but facing difficulties
Shalulile has started just 11 of the 24 games Sundowns have played this season, scoring five goals, while he has made eight substitute appearances.
By contrast, Ryaners has 13 goals in 17 games, vindicating the decision of former coach Manqoba Mngqithi to bring him on board from Stellenbosch FC.
However, Shalulile’s numbers had started dwindling even before Rayners arrived, having managed nine league goals last season and 15 across all competitions, in comparison to the 23 he bagged in all matches previous campaign and the 30 of 2021-22 as well as the 22 of his debut campaign.
Shalulile is a Sundowns legend already, having managed 95 goals in 180 starts plus 25 assists but his stock has fallen this season with the club believed to be ready to let him go if a suitable offer arrives this month.
Who is interested in signing Shalulile?
New coach Miguel Cardoso is reported to be looking to bring in a striker to complement and compete with Rayners and that will spell doom for the Namibian, who is said to be frustrated by his current limited opportunities and exploring his options.
Shalulile will not lack suitors if he decides to end his four-and-a-half-year spell at Chloorkop in January as a number of clubs in North Africa and Middle East are reported to be interested.
The former Highlands Park star has six months remaining on his contract, an enticing prospect for prospective buyers, as a deal will not need a colossal sum to get over the line.
A Saudi club has been reported to have had talks with Sundowns with the view of signing the striker but it is not known how far that went while it is still not clear if the interest from North Africa is concrete.
PSL clubs would line up for the signature of the “Striker of God” if he was made available this month but the financial package that would perhaps be involved could be a stumbling block for many.
