Monnapule Saleng returns to Sundowns training ahead of MTN8 final against Pirates

Monnapule Saleng has returned to training with Mamelodi Sundowns’ first team ahead of Saturday’s MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates, raising the possibility that he could feature against his former club.

The match will be played at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm. Saleng was seen working with the Sundowns squad at Chloorkop on Wednesday during the club’s 2026 MTN8 Media Day.

Known as “Mr MTN8”, the forward has developed a strong record in the competition. During three seasons with Pirates, he scored five MTN8 goals and played a significant role in the club’s run of three successive titles.

Saleng was particularly influential during the 2022 campaign. He set up one goal and scored twice as Pirates defeated Sundowns 3-0 in the second leg of their semi-final, securing the tie by that margin.

He then scored the only goal of the final against AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium. His performance earned him the MTN8 Last Man Standing award, while his displays that season helped establish the platform for Pirates’ three consecutive triumphs in the competition.

The 2022 campaign was the high point of Saleng’s time at Pirates, but his later spell at the club became difficult. He spent the first half of last season on loan at Orbit College after being frozen out at Pirates.

Saleng subsequently completed a permanent move to Sundowns. His start at the club, however, was disrupted after head coach Miguel Cardoso confirmed that the player had breached team discipline.

As a result, Saleng was temporarily removed from first-team training and ordered to work with the reserve side.

He was later spotted playing for Sundowns’ first team in a friendly during the recent Fifa break. His return to the senior squad now suggests he has made progress in regaining his place in Cardoso’s plans.

That development comes just in time for a final against the club where he made his name in the MTN8. Saleng’s previous record in the competition, including his decisive performance against Sundowns in 2022, gives Cardoso an experienced option as he prepares for the meeting with Pirates.

With three MTN8 titles to his name and a goal in a final at the same stadium, Saleng could yet play a role in Sundowns’ attempt to overcome his former club.