TIMELINE of EVENTS: Saleng’s soap opera at Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates need to resolve the future of Monnapule Saleng before the issue derails their 2024-2025 season. Here’s a recap.

Saleng arrives from Free State and starts slowly

Monnapule Saleng was a slow burner after signing in 2021 from Free State Stars. He immediately left on loan for Soweto rivals Swallows where he spent a year, weighing in with two goals and two assists in 22 league outings.

Scintillating 2022-2023 campaign

The following season, the player hit his straps. Saleng scored 15 goals and supplied 11 assists in 30 matches across all competitions, including 11 goals and eight assists in just 22 league matches. The mercurial winger hit a double in October 2022 to win the MTN8 final for the Sea Robbers against Sundowns. Big matches became his bread and butter, and Saleng was by far the best player in the country.

2023-2024 started slowly, peaked with goals vs Kaizer Chiefs

Perhaps it was inevitable that Saleng would struggle to replicate the ridiculous heights of his 2022-2023 campaign but by his standards, this one started slowly. He was in and out of the side, battling to become an indispensable operator under Jose Riveiro. However, in March 2024, he reminded us that form is temporary and class is permanent with a match-winning brace against the old enemy to win the Soweto Derby 3-2. His selection for this match came out of the blue after a sustained spell out of the side; perhaps this was a sign of things to come. This is a player who’s capable of producing brilliance out of nothing but also with a tendency to drift out of matches, and out of the entire picture, just like that.

Big European offers rejected by the Pirates board

Not long ago, Pirates had the opportunity to sell Monnapule Saleng to European suitors. Figures in the region of €2 million (just a shade under R40 million) were mentioned. However, the Buccaneers board decided to keep their star winger. Now that decision appears to be a foolish one. The mercurial star hasn’t made a single competitive appearance in 2025. His last outing for the Sea Robbers was a goalless draw against Al Ahly in December in a Caf Champions League group stage match. Ever since his scintillating 2022-2023 campaign when he scored 15 goals and supplied 11 assists in 30 matches across all competitions, he’s looked a shadow of himself. They might end up losing the player for absolutely nothing if this standoff persists.

Al Ahly offer, Percy Tau stalled Saleng’s proposed move

According to veteran journalist and SoccerBeat owner Peter du Toit, there’s a big discrepancy between what’s written in the media and the actual truth regarding Monnapule Saleng. Egyptian side Al Ahly had a real interest in signing Saleng but had to hold fire on completing the deal until they could finalise Percy Tau’s exit from the club. Pirates, allegedly, didn’t inform Saleng why the move had stalled. Tau’s protracted move to Qatar finally happened, but by then, the relationship between Pirates and Salend had already broken down. Disgruntled, the player’s attendance at training sessions hasn’t been as exemplary as expected.

Frozen out of the side

2024-2025 has been a horror show for Saleng who hasn’t played a single competitive minute since the turn of the year. Ironically, his last minutes in a Pirates jersey came in a Caf Champions League group stage match against Al Ahly, the club that tried to sign him. It’s been revealed that ‘personal reasons’ are behind his exile in 2025, not issues owing to fitness.

CHAN Bafana call-up

Recognition from one’s country can never be a bad thing. However, inclusion in a fringe Bafana squad of mostly emerging youngsters isn’t what Saleng needs right now. A player of the 26-year-old’s calibre should be operating at the highest level for South Africa and playing regularly in the Betway Premiership. The CHAN Qualifiers Bafana squad selected by Helman Mkhalele isn’t exactly a collection of household names, barring one or two. Saleng might enjoy a distraction from his issues at Pirates but this doesn’t solve the problem, it just elongates it.

What should the Pirates board do now?

After hesitating to sell Monnapule Saleng, and with all possible suitors knowing he’s unhappy at the club, that will certainly drive his price down. Pirates’ bargaining position is significantly weakened because of the player’s reluctance to stay, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get a good sum for the 26-year-old. The record departure in Pirates history was €2.3 million (R44 million) when Mbulelo ‘Oldjohn’ Mabizela moved to Tottenham in 2003-2004. It’s unlikely the Sea Robbers can fetch a number in that region, but there’s no reason why the 2022-2023 PSL Player of the Year shouldn’t command a decent fee. They should be looking to recover at least half (R22 million) especially if they can bring Sundowns to the market. The main question there is; do they want to strengthen a rival?

What’s the next step and how does this saga end?

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