10 hours Ago By James Freemantle
Things have just gone from bad to worse for the talented yet troubled Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng.Orlando Pirates star gets CHAN Qualifiers call-upRecognition from one’s country can never be a bad thing. However, inclusion in a fringe Bafana squad of mostly emerging youngsters isn’t what Saleng needs right now.
A player of the 26-year-old’s calibre should be operating at the highest level for South Africa and playing regularly in the Betway Premiership. The CHAN Qualifiers Bafana squad selected by Helman Mkhalele isn’t exactly a collection of household names, barring one or two. Saleng might enjoy a distraction from his issues at Pirates but this doesn’t solve the problem, it just elongates it.
Coach Helman Mkhalele announces his CHAN Bafana Bafana squad for the first round qualifiers against Egypt.The team will play opening home and away qualifiers in the coming days.#BafanaPride pic.
twitter.com/EEGdeYqu0g— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) February 21, 2025Saleng was scintillating at his bestThe 2022-2023 season was one of THE outstanding individual campaigns from a player in PSL history. Saleng banged in 15 goals and supplied 11 assists in 30 matches across all competitions.
He was peerless, and rightly named PSL Player of the Season. The Pirates board might regret their decision not to cash in sooner when his value and reputation peaked.What’s a fair price for Monnapule Saleng?After hesitating to sell Monnapule Saleng, and with all possible suitors knowing he’s unhappy at the club, that will certainly drive his price down.
Pirates’ bargaining position is significantly weakened because of the player’s reluctance to stay, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get a good sum for the 26-year-old. The record departure in Pirates history was €2.3 million (R44 million) when Mbulelo ‘Oldjohn’ Mabizela moved to Tottenham in 2003-2004.
It’s unlikely the Sea Robbers can fetch a number in that region, but there’s no reason why the 2022-2023 PSL Player of the Year shouldn’t command a decent fee. They should be looking to recover at least half (R22 million) especially if they can bring Sundowns to the market. The main question there is; do they want to strengthen a rival?The talk of the town.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePixDeon Hotto to get an Orlando Pirates lifeline if Saleng leaves?Like Dlamini, Namibian veteran Deon Hotto is a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ player who can adapt to several roles and systems. The 34-year-old is widely expected to leave the club at the end of this current campaign, but the club’s stance might change dramatically if Saleng is sold. Hotto has repeatedly been trusted in a right-sided inverted attacking midfield role in recent matches, a departure from his now-customary left-back slot.
The 34-year-old would almost certainly get a contract extension to provide backup for the talented Nkota. Hotto scored and assisted in Pirates’ 2-1 win away to Sekhukhune in early February; clear evidence of his importance to the cause.Has Saleng been treated unfairly by Pirates?Let us know by leaving a comment below, or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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