Shocking move! Mamelodi Sundowns sign Orlando Pirates star Monnapule Saleng

Premier Soccer League giants have raided Orlando Pirates and forward Monnapule Saleng.

The 27-year-old has been at Orbit College for the first round of the ongoing season, but his stay with the league debutants has been shortened by his transfer to the Tshwane giants. 

When Pirates signed Sipho Mbule, questions were raised on whether it was a good move for the Buccaneers. The South African star was sold by Sundowns after reported off-pitch issues that were linked to his poor form. Even a loan move to Sekhukhune United did not help, as Mbule faced criticism, and some had written him off completely.  

However, his move to Pirates has proved a good decision; he has become a key figure for Abdeslam Ouaddou's side, and his rejuvenation saw him return to the national team. Under Hugo Broos, the midfielder has done well, a continuation of good form seen at the club level.

Mbule is also a double domestic champion after Pirates defended the MTN8 and later won the Carling Knockout trophy.

Saleng's situation – from being frozen at Pirates, going on loan and now making a big move to Sundowns – can be likened to Mbule's situation. The question remains whether he will seize the moment and rediscover his full potential.

However, at Sundowns, he will face stiff competition given the valuable top players already serving Masandawana.

Recently, Saleng's agent, Karabo Tshabuse, shed light on what transpired between the player and the club. The agent, in a diplomatic tone, shielded the club and stated that Saleng's love for the Soweto giants cannot be questioned. 

“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 said.

"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 were claims that contractual issues were at the centre of the dispute between the player and the club, but that was refuted by the agent.

“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," the agent explained.

“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."

“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.”

Although his time at the PSL debutants was half a season, questions will be asked whether he did well or not. The forward established himself as a regular starter, and his performance was generally impressive.

At the start of the season, however, Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye challenged Saleng to show the world that indeed he was a big player.

"So far I think he's not given us what we expected from him as a big player. A player that comes in as a big name – so, those are the things that you need to sit down and check as a team, to say, “Is it really affecting the team? Are we playing better when he's in the team or when he's not in the team?” Makhoye told the media in September last year. 

"I think that's the mentality. That's why I'm saying it in both ways, to say, 'You must lead us as a big player.' Now the weight is on him, so if he's not in, everybody is putting in their 110%, but when he's inside the field, they tend to say, 'We rely on you to lead us.'"