Namibia international Peter Shaulile has been struggling for game time at Mamelodi Sundowns under coach Miguel Cardoso.
The 31-year-old has found himself behind Iqraam Rayners, Arthur Sales and recently Lebo Mothiba in the pecking order. In the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, the forward played just 13 minutes as Masandawana crashed in the group stage with four points after a win, a loss, and a draw.
Despite his struggles to win Cardoso's faith and trust, former Brazilian's striker Manqoba Ngwenya, who was commonly referred to as ‘Shakes', has urged the experienced forward to stay and prove he is still one of the best.
‘Shalulile is an asset for Masandawana'
“Shalulile has been a true soldier for Sundowns. He excelled since he joined from Highlands Park [in September 2020]. He's a natural hard worker, so for me he's still an asset for the team. Sundowns are always involved in at least five competitions every season, so I believe Shalulile will get his chance in the new season,” he said as quoted by Sowetan.
“To be honest, I was shocked to see the coach not using Shalulile that much at the Club World Cup [where he only played 13 minutes in the last game against Fluminense]. For me, Shalulile is a potent finisher and if you look at the chances Matthews missed, I am sure Shalulile would have tucked them away,” Shales concluded.
Shalulile, whose contract with Mamelodi Sundowns expires in June 2027, has scored 128 goals in South Africa's top-flight matches, and needs two more to break Siyabonga Nomvethe's long-standing record of 129 goals.
