‘You signed that contract, you negotiated it, you must honour it!’ Monnapule Saleng told ahead of Orlando Pirates' European tour amid Kaizer Chiefs links

After missing 33 matches since December 2024, Monnapule Saleng's situation with Orlando Pirates remains a hot topic, with reports linking him to a shock move to Kaizer Chiefs.

The 27-year-old last featured on 7 December 2024 against Al Ahly in the Caf Champions League. Despite being injury-free and contributing five goals and one assist in just 13 appearances, he was absent for the remainder of the season from match day squads, reportedly due to a salary dispute.

As speculation continues to swirl, Pirates legend Eugene Zwane has weighed in on the ongoing saga.

"Here's what I'd like to say about this matter, maybe even for any footballer. You can come into the team (in the PSL) from an amateur team and you negotiate a contract," Zwane opened up to Soccer Laduma. 

"Remember the contract is negotiated by you or someone else on your behalf and once it's agreed, it's agreed. You can't now in the middle of the season you find out 'player X, Y, Z earns R50 000 more than me but my contribution is better than him, therefore I need to have my contract changed'.

"It does not work like that you see. You negotiate a contract and after you can go to your representatives to open discussions to request a review of your contract. But you can't now say 'I'm not going to play because somebody else earns more than me or I'm not happy with my package or I feel like I'm being cheated," the retired footballer continued. 

"You signed that contract, you negotiated it, you must honour it. That's how contracts work and you work hard enough, so when the contract expires, you're in a much stronger position to negotiate a better deal, that can even make up for the money you feel you should've been paid, plus the increase you feel you deserve for the term going forward. 

"It's negotiations, you just need to be smart or have people who are smart to handle it for you but you can't fight your team over a contract you negotiated yourself or was negotiated on your behalf by your management team," the former defender concluded. 

Saleng’s absence from Pirates’ line-ups raised eyebrows considering his impressive form in recent seasons. In the 2022–2023 campaign, he was a standout performer with 26 goal contributions, including a stunning winner in the MTN8 final and a crucial assist in the Nedbank Cup final.

He followed that up with a solid campaign featuring 10 goal involvements, drawing interest from clubs abroad.

All eyes will be on whether Saleng rejoins Pirates as they head to Spain for their pre-season tour ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Or, if the winger could spark a fresh chapter by making a high-profile switch to Soweto rivals Chiefs before the new season kicks off.