Saleng handed Sundowns opportunity as Cardoso restores trust

Monnapule Saleng has been given a route back into the Mamelodi Sundowns first team after returning to the matchday squad for the first time in six months.

The attacker came on as a substitute during Sundowns’ 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout round of 16 on Tuesday night, marking his first appearance in the squad since personal challenges forced him away from the senior group.

His introduction by coach Miguel Cardoso underlined that Saleng remains part of Sundowns’ plans, although the player must now demonstrate that he can establish himself in the squad on a regular basis.

Saleng’s future at the club had appeared uncertain in recent months after he trained separately from the senior team. Cardoso had previously made clear that the decision to leave him out was taken by the club as a whole and was not simply a tactical choice.

The 27-year-old’s return has been welcomed by supporters and people across the football fraternity, who regard him as one of the most talented players in the local game and believe he should be supported during a difficult period.

Cardoso said Sundowns would continue to stand by Saleng, but stressed that the player must show a commitment to rejoining the group by following the club’s values and principles.

“First of all, I always tell you – these are the values I found at this club, which I share and multiply with my players,” said Cardoso.

“We understand how to relate to everything that has happened. But we don’t exclude anyone, and that’s the opportunity we gave Saleng: for him to go through the process of finding himself, show consistency at training, and be aware of some of the things that he needed to change.

“He will get his chance according to his output at training and on the pitch. We’ll evaluate him like any other player. If he remains consistent, then he’ll have more opportunities. If he drops, then he’ll have fewer chances.”

Cardoso’s decision to use Saleng against Gallants represented a significant show of faith in the player. The Portuguese coach remains under pressure following Sundowns’ early exit from the CAF Champions League, making each substitution an important decision.

Rather than selecting a player specifically to help close out the match, Cardoso chose to give Saleng valuable minutes and an opportunity to contribute.

“I think today, we really wanted to show that we trust him in a moment where it would have been easy for me to put in a player to close the game out, but I still wanted to say, ‘go out there,’ and that was proof of trust,” Cardoso said.

“We wanted him to understand that we are here for him when he needs us.”