Orbit College coach Pogiso Makhoye breaks silence on signing Monnapule Saleng from Orlando Pirates - 'I made him the player he is today'

Monnapule Saleng recently left Orlando Pirates and was announced as a new Orbit College player.

The move ends a difficult period at Pirates for the player who was sidelined in the second half of last season as he pushed for a move away from the Buccaneers.

Orbit coach Pogiso Makhoye has previously worked with Saleng and comments on being reunited with the winger.

"I'm very happy to have my son back. I still can't believe it," Makhoye said as per Unplayable.

"I think I will believe it when I see him when we return to training on Saturday or when the club unveils him. He's one of the players I asked management to engage Pirates about, at least on loan. I'm so happy the deal went through. I was so excited to read it when Pirates announced it.

"My relationship with Saleng goes back eight years. I discovered the boy when he was young. I brought him to Rustenburg. I worked with him for three years. That's why I say he's like a son to me.

"I made him the player he is today. No one knows this player more than me. I appreciate this opportunity that I've been given to work with him again. He's at the peak of his career. He needs to play more," added the Orbit coach.

"He needs to go back to Bafana Bafana because he still has a lot to offer. He will fit like a glove here because of the football we play. He knows the team. He knows the culture.

"He's been here before. Like I say, I'm the one who developed him. I know he can play four positions upfront. He can play on the right, on the left wing, as a ten or as a striker. He scored lots of goals when he was here, especially in his last season.

"I speak to him every day. He's very happy to come here. He's excited. If he didn't want to come here, this move wouldn't have happened. We cannot bring a player who doesn't want to be here. He wants to come and help the team."

For a player who was making progress after joining Pirates and had broken into the Bafana Bafana set up, the move to Orbit appears to be some steps back in Saleng's career.

He joins the newly promoted side at a time when he was being heavily linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs and North African sides.

That could leave some critics questioning his agency, how they handled the player from the time he boycotted training at Pirates to his latest career choice.

There is so much scrutiny around Saleng's move to Orbit to see if he made the correct decision.

Attention would be on him to see if he would perform highly next season and reclaim the form that saw him end up at Pirates.