Cardoso Praises Shalulile’s Record-Breaking Achievement
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso congratulated his striker Peter Shalulile on becoming the all-time leading scorer in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after netting his 130th goal in the league.
Shalulile achieved this impressive milestone in Sundowns’ 1-0 win over Stellenbosch at Athlone Stadium on Saturday, surpassing the record previously held by Kaizer Chiefs legend Siyabonga Nomvethe.
Cardoso praised Shalulile’s performance, saying, “I take the moment to congratulate Peter, and I’ve been saying that he is an important player for us and will always be. We will use Peter according to the management of the team, and today [Saturday], he played, he delivered a great performance, and scored a goal that gives him the highest position in the top scorer in the history of the PSL.”
The Portuguese mentor emphasized Shalulile’s importance to the team, stating, “Peter is an important player for us, as I said, but we must also understand that when he doesn’t get game time, we have (Lebo) Mothiba, who is an international player who played in France for top teams. We also have Iqraam Rayners, who is also a top player, so the competition is very hard in the team.”
The former Celta Vigo coach made it clear that Shalulile’s playing time is a testament to the coach’s trust in him.
“But taking nothing away from Peter, he played against Magesi, then he scored, and even scored today,” he stated.
“So, if he plays, it’s because I trust him, and there’s no player in Mamelodi Sundowns that I don’t trust.”
Shalulile scored 27 goals with Highlands Park, where Sundowns signed him from are ahead of the 2020/21 season, and has scored 103 with Sundowns.
Shalulile’s journey to becoming the PSL’s all-time top scorer is impressive. The Namibian international joined Highlands in 2015 and proved himself in South African football.
In the 2019/20 season, he claimed his first top goal scorer award in the Premiership alongside Gabadinho Mhango.
Since joining Sundowns, Shalulile has added to his accolades, winning the Premiership Golden Boot and the Footballer of the Season award twice.
Despite his impressive record, Shalulile has been struggling to get game time with Sundowns since the Brazilians signed Rayners from Stellenbosch last season. The situation worsened with the signing of South African international striker Lebo Mothiba.
Nevertheless, Shalulile will look to continue adding to his goal tally when Sundowns faces Magesi in the Betway Premiership on 14 September at Lucas Moripe Stadium after the FIFA international break.
