Sundowns’ Mngqithi on why they are praying for Shalulile
"Peter is a very focused player and all our prayers are for him to achieve the unthinkable," said co-coach Mngqithi.
Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Last season Peter Shalulile was chasing the top goal scorer’s coveted gong and in the last league match against Cape Town City, he lingered around the box waiting for his teammates to supply him and he only managed to get just one goal.
He fell one strike short of Bradley Gorbler’s tally of 16 goals, but this time around, the stakes are higher as he is chasing Collins Mbesuma’s 25-goal record in the league. Shalulile is three goals away from equaling ‘Ntofo Ntofo’s long standing record and he has just as many games to rewrite history.
“Peter is a very focused player and all our wishes and prayers are for him to achieve the unthinkable,” said Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
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“We are talking about a very good boy who is very committed to his work and he is one of the most professional players I’ve ever worked with. He always makes sure that he does well for the team. Not only when it comes to goals but he is a very important member of our defensive structure. He is the first player in our defence because of his high-pressing,” he added.
Sundowns will face Stellenbosch and Royal AM in the penultimate and final game of the season respectively, but before those, they visit old foes Kaizer Chiefs and everyone at Chloorkop would love to see the Namibian get his name on the score-sheet. But if he does not, it will not be a train smash as he has already secured a record equaling second Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot.
“We don’t want to give Peter unnecessary anxiety. If he scores, then that will be great and we will try to help him in whatever way. The other players are fully behind him because he has worked hard,” said Mngqithi.
“We would want to see him achieve that objective but it is not primary in our thoughts. We want to make sure that we give our best and we support Peter as much as we can without piling a lot of pressure on his shoulders to the point that he starts to play for himself for goals and no longer for the team,” Mngqithi added.
Shalulile’s teammate, Aubrey Modiba is waiting to receive his second league winners’ medal and having been on the opposite end for a while at SuperSport United, he now understands the intricaies of winning the championship.
“What I’ve realized is that winning the league is not easy. We had to fight and make sure that we do well and make sure we outsmart opponents, which is what we plan to do against Chiefs. We need to make sure that we do the basics right and do what is required. Our work has been very good because every game is tough and we need to continue that against Chiefs,” said Modiba.
