Cardoso: Saleng can earn more Sundowns chances through consistency

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says Monnapule Saleng will continue to receive opportunities to rebuild his place in the team, provided his performances and attitude remain consistent.

The winger made his first appearance of the season in Sundowns’ 1-0 Carling Knockout victory over Marumo Gallants, coming on for the final seven minutes of the Round of 16 tie as the Tshwane side protected their lead and secured progress to the next round.

Saleng, 28, had been separated from the first-team squad since the off-season following reports of ill-discipline. Cardoso had previously expressed concerns about the player’s standards in training and his influence on the dressing-room environment.

But the Portuguese coach said Sundowns would not exclude him from the process of returning to contention.

“First of all, I always told you that those are the values I found inside this club and those are the values I share and multiply with my players. We don’t allow ourselves to exclude a human being, a person, out of the process,” said Cardoso at a post-match news conference at Loftus.

Cardoso added that Saleng had been given time to consider his position, improve his consistency during training and make changes in the areas where improvement was needed.

“He made his effort. He will have his chances according to the performance that will be absolutely continuously evaluated like all the other players and obviously if he becomes consistent, he will have more chances. If he has fluctuations, he will have less chances,” said the 54-year-old.

The coach explained that Saleng’s introduction against Gallants was intentional and part of the club’s effort to show that he still had their trust.

Cardoso acknowledged that he could have selected another player to help Sundowns see out the match, but chose instead to give Saleng an opportunity to regain confidence in a competitive setting.

The decision means Saleng’s return will be assessed on an ongoing basis, with further opportunities dependent on his levels of performance and consistency.