‘Absolute hogwash’: Sundowns coach Mokwena warns Al Ahly that Shalulile is not for sale

10 April 2021 - 11:34 By mahlatse mphahlele
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Peter Shalulile and teammates during the Mamelodi Sundowns training session at Chloorkop on April 08, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Peter Shalulile and teammates during the Mamelodi Sundowns training session at Chloorkop on April 08, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena has vehemently insisted that star striker Peter Shalulile is not for sale.

News emerged this week that Al Ahly‚ who are coached by former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane‚ are interested in the on-form striker who has taken the Premier Soccer League (PSL) by storm this season with impressive performances.

This is the second time in a few months that Al Ahly are flirting with a Sundowns player as they tried unsuccessfully to reunite stylish attacking midfielder Gaston Sirino with Mosimane in Cairo during the last transfer window.

“It is absolute hogwash‚ Peter Shalulile has a contract here at Sundowns. People will have to pay big money for Peter Shalulile but he is not available‚” said Mokwena after Sundowns were beaten 2-0 by CR Belouizdad of Algeria in their final Caf Champions League Group B match at Loftus on Friday afternoon.

Mokwena also took time to dismiss speculation linking him with a move to Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca and Bafana Bafana.

“North Africa and Bafana Bafana‚ it is a very difficult one because there has been speculation. I have a four-year contract here at Mamelodi Sundowns and my focus is only on Mamelodi Sundowns at the moment‚ and I don’t pay attention to these speculations.”

He also urged the SA Football Association (Safa) leadership to take the right decisions regarding the future of Bafana‚ where head coach Molefi Ntseki was sacked this month.

“Fortunately‚ I am not the decisionmaker because it is going to be a very difficult process. Our football needs a bit of an uplift or a facelift and it is not easy to map up a direction and continuously give hope to people.


“We continuously come up with Vision 2020‚ Vision 2022 or Vision 2026 and people will start losing hope. As leaders of SA football‚ it is important that we don’t allow our people to lose hope in us.

“That means people who have to map up the direction for our football must take the right decisions. Fortunately, it is not my responsibility because it’s an enormous responsibility.”

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