Monnapule Saleng's agent believes 'Orlando Pirates can never be faulted' after documentary finally reveals the problem the star experienced before his loan move to Orbit College

Monnapule Saleng's agent, Karabo Tshabuse, believes Orlando Pirates cannot be blamed for the hardship the forward faced while at the Premier Soccer League side.

Saleng looked like an ostracised figure at the Soweto giants for most of last season amid reports that the fallout between the two parties involved a contract dispute.

However, Tshabuse of P-Management Sport, which handles Saleng, has clarified what the whole issue was about.

“We see Monnapule Saleng saying ‘I’m not okay’ on that Giants [Pirates documentary] show. That is already an answer in itself that it was a season where mental fitness did not match physical fitness," Tshabuse told Behind the Boot podcast.

"What I like is that from the Giants show or the Pirates show, Saleng is live, saying I am not okay, and granted, people are only getting it after the speculation about where he is and whether he really wants to be there," she added.

“There was no contractual issue with Saleng and Orlando Pirates. Orlando Pirates and Saleng brokered a very good deal, and a deal that helped Saleng achieve a multitude of things, including buying property."

“Orlando Pirates can never be faulted on that score. It can also not be faulted for what the player went through. So, the Al Ahly deal is nothing further than the truth. At that stage, Monnapule Saleng was not looking to leave. He was at Orlando Pirates, invested in the team, but just going through something."

The agent went further to reveal that Saleng has a tattoo of Pirates, stressing how he loves the club.

“He has an Orlando Pirates badge tattoo. For him, he arrived at his dream when he played for Orlando Pirates," Tshabuse stated.

“He needed the audience to just hold the line for him, and unfortunately, as much as social media can be powerful to build, it can be powerful to exacerbate and break a situation," she added.

"So, we find ourselves now having to explain a season where people were just ruthless. I then decided I’m not going to comment because I can’t say my client needs the mental fitness to be where his physical fitness is.”

After months of speculation on where his future lay, Saleng finally completed a loan move to PSL debutants, Orbit College, before the 2025/26 season began.

Orbit College offered him an opportunity to play football again, having last featured for the Sea Robbers in December 2024.

After a months-long absence from the pitch, Saleng's hope is to regain his top-level performance and see whether he can return to Pirates a renewed man after his loan stint.