Tunisian giants Esperance closing in on Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile
His place in the club has been uncertain over the last couple of weeks, and speculation about his future has been rife.
Shalulile currently has two years remaining on his contract with the Betway Premiership kings but has slipped down the pecking order at the club, with Luca Ribeiro and Iqraam Rayners preferred ahead of him.
With Kaizer Chiefs in desperate need of a prolific frontman, many pundits have linked the 31-year-old with a move to Naturena. Chiefs have struggled for goals over the last two seasons, and a striker who has scored over 100 goals in the PSL could be a perfect option.
However, it seems that Esperance, the former team of Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso, look set to steal a march in the race for his signature, according to an iDiski Times report.
Should Shalulile move to Tunisia, this could be seen as a lost opportunity for Chiefs, who are still on the hunt for a new striker with a proven goalscoring record in the Betway Premiership.
Meanwhile, Ribeiro's future also appears to be up in the air, with the Brazilian being scouted by clubs in Qatar as well as his home country.
However, after winning the PSL's Player of the Season award, Ribeiro has insisted he is not going anywhere, and has put his head down in training as Sundowns prepare for the upcoming season, which kicks off this weekend with an MTN8 clash against Richards Bay on Sunday.
IOL Sport
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Orlando Pirates news: Zakhele Lepasa and Neo Mokoena
Former Orlando Pirates attacker Zakhele Lepasa may start looking for a new apartment in KwaZulu Natal's leading city of Durban. Durban City FC, the Betway Premiership's rookies are reportedly targeting Lepasa to boost their attacking options ahead of the upcoming season. The Soweto-born player could be joining his fourth top-flight club after TS Galaxy, SuperSport United and of course Orlando Pirates. Kaizer Chiefs transfer news: Two strikers According to Durban City's chairman, Farouk Kadodia, the club formerly known as Maritzburg United have begun talks with the 28-year-old Lepasa's camp. 'We are interested in Zakhele Lepasa,' Kadodia said… Full story here. Zakhele Lepasa in action for Orlando Pirates against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership at the Orlando Stadium. Image: Sowetan Strong comments: Khanye on Kaizer Chiefs-bound players So Orlando Pirates sold Mohau Nkota to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia after just one season in the Betway Premiership. According to these reports, the Buccaneers have another exciting winger, Neo Mokoena, from the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) reserve team. Following a strong finish to the previous season, during which Mokoena trained with the Orlando Pirates senior side, he has earned his place in the Buccaneers' A squad…Full story here. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Tinkler targets Top 3 and CAF return with Sekhukhune United
Eric Tinkler believes Sekhukhune United have the squad depth and quality to break into the top three this season. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler has outlined his ambitions of securing a Top 3 finish this season, with the ultimate goal of returning to the CAF Confederation Cup. The 2025/26 Betway Premiership offers a fresh opportunity for Babina Noko to make that push, and their campaign gets underway with a high-stakes opening fixture against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off). Tinkler's charges will have little room to ease into the season, especially considering their previous success at the same venue. Sekhukhune were one of just two teams to beat Pirates at Orlando last term, a 1-0 result that dealt a major blow to the Buccaneers' title hopes. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ However, that statement victory wasn't enough to secure continental qualification, as Sekhukhune narrowly missed out on third place — a finish that would have seen them return to the Confederation Cup. After consecutive fourth-place finishes, the club has been active in the transfer market in a bid to bolster its squad for a stronger run this season. Tinkler believes they now have the depth and quality to finally break into the top three. 'We are hoping that we can improve on last season; that is always the objective and the target you set for yourself as a club and as a coach individually,' Tinkler said during the Betway Premiership launch. 'The club has finished fourth twice, two seasons in a row, just fell short of CAF Confed, so next season you want to take that one step higher. 'We are not looking at it as being in the top three but more as points — can we achieve a certain amount of points this season? The club has never broken the 50-point mark, can we do that as a club? 'Because that will mean we are moving in the right direction as a club and come the end of the season, that will possibly guarantee you a top-three finish.' While Mamelodi Sundowns continue to dominate South African league football, Tinkler insists the focus should not solely be on dethroning the champions but on collecting points consistently against all teams. The former Pirates boss has challenged his side to be more ruthless throughout the league season, particularly in away games, if they hope to close the considerable gap on Sundowns, who finished last season with an impressive 73 points. 'It's not beating Sundowns, it's about being able to beat all the other sides in the league,' Tinkler continued. 'Those are the games that are the most important for collecting points away from home. Those are the results that become more important if you want to be competing with Sundowns. 'When I was still coaching Pirates the target used to be 60 points and you win the league and we used to break them down into ten points every five games. It's 73 points now and we are achieving seven or eight points. 'The gap between us and Sundowns is still massive, can we close that gap, can we hit 50? We are still far behind Sundowns, but we are moving in the right direction.'
The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs legend wants Sundowns right-back at Naturena
Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Patrick Mabedi has urged Amakhosi to sign Khuliso Mudau from Mamelodi Sundowns. The lanky defender has not penned a new deal with Masandawana, which could open a door for other PSL clubs. Mudau is highly regarded as one of the best right-backs in Africa, having played in the CAF Champions League final and Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. Mabedi feels Kaizer Chiefs would benefit if they could sign the Bafana Bafana star. The former Malawi international coached Mudau when he coached at Black Leopards seven years ago. 'He is a very good player. If Chiefs sign him they could have found a missing link in not only their defence but the whole team. You know when I coached him at Black Leopards we used to use him either as a right back, right winger or even a central midfielder. That's how good he is. So, this could be the biggest move for Chiefs in recent times. Personally, I would encourage them to go for him,' Mabedi told Soccer Laduma . The Amakhosi legend says Mudau is a player who could help Chiefs build from the back as he is good playing with the ball at his feet. 'You know he comes from Sundowns who like playing the ball around. He is good in that and Chiefs need such a player who can help them build from the back and link up with their attackers. This could really be a good move for Chiefs (if they attempt to sign him),' the former Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach stated. Mudau has attracted offers from North Africa so a move to Chiefs is very unlikely at this stage, given the player is in his prime. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
