Mamelodi Sundowns confirm Monnapule Saleng is training away from senior squad

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed that Monnapule Saleng is currently training separately from the senior team after repeatedly breaching the club’s rules and dressing-room values.

The winger was absent once again as Sundowns defeated Polokwane City 3-2 after extra time to reach the semi-finals of the MTN8. The match was Sundowns’ first domestic fixture of the season, but Saleng was not included in the squad.

Cardoso was asked about the whereabouts of the former Orlando Pirates player following the victory. He said Saleng’s situation was unrelated to a routine selection decision and instead involved disciplinary problems that had continued over a period of time.

The coach also disclosed that Saleng had missed a CAF Champions League match despite being named in the squad. Cardoso said the player had also failed to report for a team camp after being selected to attend.

“Regarding Saleng, the situation is unfortunately very different,” Cardoso said in his post-match press conference.

“Saleng consecutively broke the rules and values of the locker room and of the club, and in this moment – well not in this moment, for some time already he is not training with the team.

“Saleng was on the list for the second match of the Champions League and he didn’t appear. Saleng was on the list to go camp but he did not appear, or he said he would not go.

“So it’s impossible for us to keep stability with a player you give so much love, even after he systematically failed but is not ready to make the path that the team needs to have.

“So the club decided put him separated from the team, he’s not with us right now.”

Cardoso’s comments indicate that Saleng’s absence from the MTN8 quarter-final was part of a wider decision by Mamelodi Sundowns to remove him from first-team activities. The coach said the club had tried to support the player but could not maintain stability while the reported disciplinary issues continued.

The Portuguese coach stressed that the matter had persisted for some time, rather than being linked solely to the match against Polokwane City. Saleng was not involved in the squad for the fixture, which Sundowns eventually won in extra time to secure their place in the last four of the competition.

His omission came after the earlier incident involving the CAF Champions League squad and the team camp. According to Cardoso, the player had been selected for both commitments but did not attend as expected.

Sundowns will now continue their domestic campaign without Saleng available to the senior side, while the club’s decision leaves the winger training away from the group. Cardoso did not provide a timescale for a possible return to team training.

The comments were made after Sundowns completed their progress in the MTN8 on 8 August 2026. The club are also competing in the Betway Premiership and the CAF Champions League.