The making of the Peter Shalulile scoring machine: 'Peter used to miss one-on-ones'

Owen da Gama remembers the ridicule vividly, even though he and Highlands Park are now having the last laugh. 

Da Gama and Highlands Park, who are now campaigning in the amateur ranks after selling their premier division status to TS Galaxy in 2020, were taunted for their valuation of Peter Shalulile at R30 million four years ago. 

Agents and even Shalulile himself thought that the club was prizing the striker out of the market as he had attracted interest from the country's top teams.  

"People thought we were crazy, but look at him now," said Da Gama. "R30 million might even have been cheap. Peter thought it was a joke. He is a very, very humble boy. 

"We arrived at that valuation by looking at the value he brings and how much strikers are going for in Europe. You find mediocre strikers without good records, but because they had one good season, they go for £40 million to £50 million, and then I said that if a team from overseas can get this boy – he would be a steal for them at R30 million." 

According to Transfermarkt – a German-based website that tracks footballers' transfers, statistics and estimates their market value – Shalulile is currently worth just over R45 million. It's a figure that will rise if he continues to shine with Namibia at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and Mamelodi Sundowns when domestic football returns in February.  

The 30-year-old will come up against familiar foes on Sunday when he captains the Brave Warriors against the Sundowns' dominated Bafana Bafana in the second match of their Afcon group stage campaign. Shalulile's Namibia registered their first-ever win in the tournament when they beat Tunisia 1-0, while Bafana lost 2-0 to Mali.  

The scrawny winger that Da Gama crossed paths with for