The signing of Namibian star striker Peter Shalulile by Yanga was neither sudden nor accidental. The club’s president, Hersi Ally Said, has revealed that he had been in talks with the player for three years before the dream finally became a reality.
Speaking about the journey to secure Shalulile’s services, Hersi said he began persuading the striker a long time ago, repeatedly telling him that one day he would wear the Wananchi jersey.
“I have been speaking with Peter for three years. Every time, I would tell him, ‘One day you will be my player,’” Hersi said.
Hersi also explained that Shalulile was a free agent, giving him the opportunity to make his own decision without any contractual restrictions. Despite attracting interest from financially powerful clubs such as Egypt’s Pyramids FC and Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, the striker chose Yanga because of the club’s vision and project.
“Peter was a free agent, so the decision was entirely his. There were clubs offering him more money than we were, but he chose our project,” he added.
The African Club Association (ACA) chairman also revealed that the final stage of negotiations took two weeks, during which he focused on convincing Shalulile about the club’s environment, fan support, and the ambitious goals Yanga has set for the coming years.
“It took me two weeks to convince him. I told him this was not just about signing a contract, but about the environment, the support from the fans, and what we want to achieve together,” he said.
This is not the first time Hersi has successfully completed the signing of a high-profile player despite circumstances suggesting it would be impossible.
During the 2022/23 season, he signed attacking midfielder Stephane Aziz Ki from ASEC Mimosas in a transfer that few believed would happen until the player was unveiled at 8 p.m.
Despite Aziz Ki’s unveiling taking place late at night, Yanga fans and football stakeholders stayed awake waiting for the club’s announcement to confirm that Aziz Ki had indeed joined the Wananchi.
Engineer Hersi still has two more foreign-player surprises lined up before the transfer window closes.
