How Orlando Pirates did Orbit College dirty in Monnapule Saleng's move to Mamelodi Sundowns! 'Still trying to find ourselves... we didn't see it coming'

Monnapule Saleng unexpectedly left Orbit College, where he had been on loan from Orlando Pirates. 

The winger has since been unveiled as a new Mamelodi Sundowns player, a move that has left Orbit coach Pogiso Makhoye searching for a replacement out wide. 

The sudden switch came as a surprise to Orbit, who were heavily relying on Saleng in their fight to escape relegation from the Premier Soccer League. 

Makhoye admitted the club had not anticipated losing the winger midway through the campaign, saying they had been looking forward to having Saleng for the remainder of the season.

"We are still trying to find ourselves now because we didn't see it coming. We thought we'll have him until the end of the season, but you know football, you sleep today as an Orbit player, when you wake up tomorrow, you are somewhere else. But this one we didn't see it coming," Makhoye told Soccer Laduma.  

"I think we won't take this as a negative impact because you see it means we are doing something right, because if you check even the stats. It's repeated in the number of goals that he scored and also in terms of assists. 

"It means we help him to  still stay at the top and stay relevant as well.  And it's motivating other players to say but if the stats that made here where we helped him. It means can happen to anyone," he added. 

"So we took it as a positive thing rather than negative because I think we are also having back the players that were injured are coming back, so it's like we've got new signings." 

Former Pirates attacker Benedict Vilakazi backs Saleng for moving Sundowns and tips him to thrive at Chloorkop.

“I still believe in him. And I think the boy just needs to gain his confidence and get support,” said Vilakazi as per Phakaathi.

“I think there’s one thing a lot of coaches always miss is having player management. And I think he needs a coach that will manage him before we expect good things from the boy in the field. But I think they still need to get him.

“They need to understand him, and he needs to understand where the team and where the coach is coming from, the players, what it is that they want and where the team wants to move. I still believe in the boy strongly. Maybe he will give us 10 goals and with time maybe 15.”

Former Pirates midfielder Steve Lekoelea has warned Saleng to put himself under pressure, wanting to prove a point when Sundowns play Pirates.

“You know Sundowns is the only team in South Africa that signs quality players, Saleng is a quality player, everyone knows that. It won't be hard for him to gel at Sundowns, because he's from a big team, so it's going to be easy for him to gel with Sundowns players," Lekoelea told Soccer Laduma.

"Football is football, it's all about your commitment. If it happens like that [that Saleng helps Sundowns to win the league], it will be Saleng's luck.  

"Yes, supporters talk, others talk bad, others good. It doesn't make a difference, it's football.  

"Saleng has to focus, he must not think about many things from Pirates, that when they play against Pirates he would want to prove Pirates wrong, no, he has just to play his football, everything will work itself out," added the retired footballer.  

"Football is a short career, if he went to Sundowns and Sundowns give him what he wants, I'm happy for him. He must not just focus on the money, he should play like we know him."