Peter Shalulile: The man who worships God with his feet

To Peter Shalulile, the football field is more than a patch of grass marked with white lines. It is a pulpit. Of course, he sees the opponents, the 11 men whose job it is to deny him the joy of finding the back of the net over 90 minutes. He sees the defenders, the men charged with shadowing his every move and ensuring he never gets close enough to goal to cause damage.

Then there is the goalkeeper, the last line of defence, the man standing between Shalulile and the celebration awaiting on the other side of the net. Throughout his career, he has mastered the art of beating this particular man. He has slipped past defenders, outfoxed goalkeepers, and time and again, sent supporters into raptures with the simple yet intoxicating act of finding the net.

One does not become the PSL’s all-time leading scorer without developing an intimate knowledge of the many ways to evade defenders and outwit goalkeepers, with cat-like reflexes. Yet, despite knowing that every match brings an army of opponents determined to stop him in his tracks, Shalulile believes his purpose on the field goes beyond scoring goals.

For him, every match is an act of worship.

While others may offer praise and worship to their Maker on a Sunday from church pews or behind a pulpit, Shalulile believes his place of worship is the football field. He believes his Lord gave him his talent so he could use it to worship with his feet.

‘THIS IS MY PULPIT’ – PETER SHALULILE

“This is my pulpit,” he tells FARPost. “This is my worship unto the Lord, my talent. And not everyone can stand behind the mic. We worship differently. And we preach differently. “So, for me, my football is a way of glorifying the Lord and people seeing the second man, which is Christ, next to me.”

That conviction, however, was not something Shalulile was born with. His journey towards faith began in 2014, when he first attended church in Pretoria. There, he says, he gave himself to Christ.

“From that day on, there was no going back,” he says. “Yes, I’m not perfect, but the mistake I made was to pray; you know, when you pray, you won’t turn back anymore. Because there’s this fire in you that keeps burning no matter what.”

Prayer became the foundation on which he built not only his faith but also his football career. At the time, he had little more than belief and a desire to make something of his talent. He chose to place his career in God’s hands.

“I once went to a Namibia national team camp in Johannesburg and saw the players relaxing around the pool. When I asked where Shalulile was, I was told he was in his room. That’s his life – prayer, training and his family. He is completely devoted to those three things,” award-winning journalist Lorenz Köhler tells FARPost.

The results are now part of football history. Last month, Shalulile confirmed his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns, the club where he set countless records and earned a reputation as one of the continent’s finest sharpshooters. He left South Africa with a peerless record – 131 PSL goals. The former Highlands Park striker was the fastest man to reach 100 goals, the first to win three Golden Boot awards, and the only player to score two consecutive hat-tricks in PSL matches.

SHALULILE’S IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS A PRISM OF FAITH

In addition to his title as the leading PSL scorer of all time, he is also South Africa’s cup king, having scored 33 goals across various competitions, the most by any player. Yet while such numbers might ordinarily invite pride, Shalulile views them through the prism of faith. The goals, he believes, were part of a vision.

“I’ll take you to the book of Habakkuk when the Lord says, stand upon the rock to see what he will say to you. ‘Write a vision, write a vision, make it plain upon a tablet that he may write it. Read it. He says, glory, tarry; it shall not tarry; it shall come to pass,’” he says.

For the Windhoek-born star, this was not merely scripture to be read. It was a blueprint for living. He wrote down his targets. Every year, he set himself the goal of scoring 15 or 16 goals, placing the ambition on his vision board, then working towards it and praying over it. “And then it just came to pass,” he says with all humility.

But the road to those goals was not always smooth. Football in the top flight is tough, and there were weeks, even months, without scoring. Such goal droughts never shook his faith. Instead, they strengthened it.

“There were sleepless nights when you can go six or four months without scoring, but you still keep the faith and keep working hard,” the former Tura Magic FC forward explains. That persistence is perhaps one of the least visible aspects of his record-breaking career. Supporters see the goals. They remember the celebrations. They remember the trophies. Shalulile remembers the waiting.

YANGA SC MOVE AN EXERCISE OF SURRENDER

He remembers the periods when goals would not come and the faith required to keep believing they would eventually. Even his departure from South Africa was, in his mind, an act of surrender. There were opportunities to remain in the Betway Premiership, continue scoring goals, and extend a record that is now likely to stand as one of the competition’s most imposing milestones. However, Shalulile believes records are temporary.

Leaving Sundowns, therefore, was not about protecting his legacy. It was about obeying what he believed was a higher calling. He compares the decision to the biblical story of Abraham, who was instructed by God to leave his family home and venture into the unknown.

“It was difficult, but he obeyed, and he was blessed to be the father of all nations simply by obeying,” Shalulile says. “So, I had to leave it, but that wasn’t my will. For me, I just had to follow Christ because he’s the director of my life. He’s the one who placed me where I am today, so I just want to work for him. Wherever he tells me to go, I will. Trust me.”

And so, the next destination became Tanzania. Young Africans, affectionately known as Yanga, offered Shalulile a new challenge at a time when his name could still have opened doors across the continent. Yet the decision was not based solely on football.

‘IT WAS NOT EASY TO GET HIM’ – HERSI ALLY SAID

“I always tell my fellow people that I’ve come to a place in life where I don’t follow my mind…,” he says. “If I pray for a place and don’t find peace, for me that’s an answer from the Lord. There were a couple of teams that really wanted me, but I prayed over it for weeks, and trust me, I got peace when I spoke about Tanzania – coming to Yanga. So, I got peace, and that’s the peace of the Lord. It’s an answer for me, and I’m here now.”

His first impressions have only reinforced that decision. He has been particularly struck by the warmth of the Yanga supporters, who welcomed him with an elaborate unveiling and hailed him as the greatest of all time. For Shalulile, however, even that praise must be redirected.

“Sometimes when they call me GOAT, I try to tell them this isn’t my glory. I don’t want to be bigger than Christ, because it’s not how it should be,” he says.

He appreciates the reception but would rather that the adulation ultimately point elsewhere.

“It’s good to be appreciated, but I would really like the glory to go to Christ as well, the same way they want to unveil me,” he says. “That’s how I want them to unveil Jesus as Lord.” Yanga president Hersi Ally Said admits that securing his signature was not easy. “He had offers that could pay him three times what we offered. It wasn’t easy to get him,” Said tells FARPost.

THE IMPACT ON BETHUEL MUZEU

Zambian forward Albert Kangwanda, Shalulile’s new roommate at Yanga, has already noticed one of his quieter qualities. He is a stickler for neatness. ‘Sha-Sha’ often speaks about discipline, not only on the football pitch but also in the smallest details of daily life. He says his organised nature comes from home. Even making his bed and keeping a room tidy are, for him, expressions of discipline and respect. To football fans, this is evident in the way he carries himself. With his shirt tucked and his socks rolled all the way to his knees, the man always radiates calm and discipline.

“At the end of the day, because it’s not only you that you are carrying, but you’re also carrying the grace of God, and you’re also carrying Christ in. And you want them to see that it’s you looking this way. That’s how Christ will look.”

It is also why he makes a point of leaving places cleaner than he found them. For the prolific forward, representing Christ is not confined to church or to moments of prayer but is a daily responsibility. That philosophy has also shaped his interactions with younger players. He cites Namibia international and Sekhukhune United star Bethuel Muzeu, whom he has encouraged to remain rooted in his faith and the Bible.

“I’m told that when a young player arrives, they have him share a room with Shalulile, just to learn from him,” Kohler adds.

His friend Thabo Molokomme knows this side of Sha-Sha well, having found their conversations drifting from football and everyday life to faith. “You go to his house, and he watches sermons on YouTube. He’d want to show you a video of Pastor so-and-so,” Molokomme tells FARPost.

THE UNFORGETTABLE CLASH AGAINST AL AHLY

The Namibian international believes the Bible contains answers for almost every challenge life can present. “This is the book that will show you how you should live your life,” the 32-year-old says. “This is the book that will give you wisdom. This is the book that will give you faith. This is the book that will take you out of danger. This is the book that will show you the right person in your life. It’s the book that will give you peace.”

His own career has given him ample opportunities to test that faith. And there have been glorious nights, including the unforgettable 5-0 CAF Champions League victory over Al Ahly at Loftus Versfeld, where he scored twice.

He remembers the stadium being full, the technical team’s preparations, and, most importantly, how the goals had been rehearsed on the training ground. Sha-Sha also recalls a goal against Maritzburg United, created by a sequence involving Musa Lebusa, Themba Zwane and Neo Maema.

But perhaps the goals that mean the most to him came when the stakes were highest. During the 2025/26 Champions League campaign, he scored twice against AS Maniema Union in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including a 96th-minute winner that helped Sundowns progress.

For Shalulile, there is no complicated explanation for such moments. “The last-minute goals,” he says. “Yes. I remember [against Maniema], a very important goal in the Champions League. Still, God’s work showing off through my life.” That campaign ultimately ended with the Brazilians winning a historic second star. It was a fitting conclusion to his time at the club.

THE BOND WITH MASANDAWANA FANS

“Everything just works out at the right time,” the soft-spoken hitman says. “Everything is set by the Lord. It’s written in eternity. That’s how it will end. And it ended in style.” He recalls how the Sundowns supporters embraced him over the years. Shalulile admits there were moments when the supporters’ songs made him feel deeply appreciated, but he also understands that football moves in seasons.

Now that he has left, he still believes the bond cannot simply disappear.

“Even though I’m gone, I still believe that there’s a place for me somewhere at Sundowns and we cannot break it,” he says “Those are things that are written in eternity.”

In Tanzania, meanwhile, Shalulile has arrived with ambitions that extend beyond personal success. He believes Yanga can build something substantial, particularly in continental football.

“The club is heading toward amazing places. I also believe they will want to compete at the club level and in club football, and in the Club World Cup, and also be in the semi-finals or in the finals of the Champions League,” he says

He has already been impressed by his new teammates’ willingness to work and learn.

“I am confident because I can see how they train, how willing they are to work, and how willing they are to learn,” he says.
However, the Brave Warriors captain knows that success is rarely instant. He has endured too many sleepless nights to believe otherwise.

NUMBER 13 CARRIES THE MEMORY OF GOLGOTHA

“It’s like water cutting through a rock. Not because it’s sharp, but it’s because of the persistence. So that’s how life is. Also, you have to persist, persist, persist; it will surely come to pass.”

For Shalulile, football has always been about more than the scoreboard. His number 13 shirt, which he has also worn for Namibia’s Brave Warriors, carries the memory of Golgotha 13 in Windhoek, the township section where he grew up playing football and hockey before ultimately choosing football as his path.

His record books contain the evidence of what happened after that choice, yet his faith provides the explanation for why he believes it happened. He does not see himself as the author of the story but as simply the man entrusted with playing his part.

As he begins another chapter at Yanga, the goals will still matter. The Champions League will still matter. The supporters will still sing. Defenders will still chase him, and goalkeepers will still stand between him and the net. But Shalulile will continue to see something beyond it all. The football field remains his pulpit. His feet remain his instrument. And every goal is another sermon.

“I always want to make sure that wherever I come, I leave Christ in a place, and I want them to know that Jesus is alive. If you call upon him, I will continue as much as I can, and as much as God gives me the strength, and I will make sure that he will be seen,” he concludes.

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