It may not be long to see another player in the PSL hit a century of goals this season.
When Bradley Grobler swung in his foot to score the second goal as SuperSport United beat Maritzburg United last Friday, it was the veteran’s striker 100th goal in the PSL.
However, it doesn’t seem like it will take long for another player to score 100 goals in the PSL.
Mamelodi Sundowns hitman Peter Shalulile is edging close to that magic number, after scoring three goals as the Ke Yona Cup defending champions beat Marumo Gallants 3-1 at Toyota Stadium on Thursday night in the Nedbank Cup round of 16.
Shalulile, for the first goal, received a delightful cross from Neo Maema to open his body to score in the eighth minute.
The second also in the first half, he hooked it home a rebound after benefiting from Themba Zwane’s initial shot in the 26th minute.
The Namibian international was denied his third in the second half, in what was a wrong call from the officials in the 65th minute, tapping home in the empty net. It was clearly a wrong call as Shalulile was onside when Zwane delivered a pin-point cross at the back post.
While Shalulile was denied what was a wrong call especially from the side of the second assistant, he chested down a vicious in-swinging free kick by the impressive Maema in the 74th minute.
That goal was Shalulile’s 87th in the top flight, not counting 20 he scored in the Motsepe Championship Foundation across two seasons with Highlands Park (five in the 2015/16 and 15 in the 2017/18 seasons).
In the league alone, Shalulile has scored 71, 16 in the cup competitions, to make it 87 goals. He has scored seven in the CAF Champions League which came with Sundowns, though they are not counted here.
In counting 20 he scored for Park in those two seasons in the Championship and two in the promotion and relegation playoffs and Champions League, Shalulile has scored 116 goals in all competitions since he arrived in South Africa.
On top of that, Shalulile, who scored 23 league goals last term – coming close to breaking Collins Mbesuma’s record of 25 with Kaizer Chiefs in the 2004/05 season, the 29-year-old is the joint-top league goal scorer this season with Grobler – nine.
As Sundowns are through to the Nedbank Cup quarter finals, Shalulile may just become the quickest player ever in the PSL era to score 100 goals.
With the way Sundowns are functioning and finding no match locally and Shalulile having his nose bleeding for goals, it is just a matter of time before this happens.
The Eengolo-born striker made his league debut on 7 February in 2017 during the ill- fated stint of coach Gordon Igesund at Highlands Park.
Seven days later, he scored his first goal with Highlands against Polokwane City at Makhulong Stadium.
