Orlando Pirates’ pursuit of the DStv Premiership title has come under increasing scrutiny as they continue to trail perennial champions Mamelodi Sundowns, with many pointing to the prolonged absence of winger Monnapule Saleng as a major setback.
Saleng has not featured for the Buccaneers since December 2024 following reports that he boycotted training in an attempt to force a move abroad.
His omission from recent matchday squads has raised questions, particularly as the Soweto giants find themselves 18 points behind log leaders Sundowns, albeit with two games in hand.
Former Pirates and Sundowns midfielder Lebohang Mokoena believes Saleng’s absence has been detrimental to the team’s consistency and title ambitions.
“It does,” Mokoena told iDiski Times when asked if Saleng’s situation has had an impact on Pirates.
“You don’t want to see a teammate that’s always playing and contributing to the team go through such because it does cause a ripple effect.”
He added, “If you look at the current Pirates squad, you had Tito [Maswanganyi] — if he’s on song, he can make Pirates win. You have Rele [Mofokeng], but now Tito’s out, Saleng has been out. All the pressure goes to Rele and Mabasa to deliver.”
Mokoena also highlighted the psychological and team dynamics affected by Saleng’s absence. “It really distracted the team a bit, and I was hoping they would have resolved it before the halfway mark so that Saleng can get back onto the field.”
The former midfielder also cautioned about the wider implications for dressing room morale. “Other players take that as an advantage to query certain things. It causes division because some players are deemed favourites.”
Saleng, who was one of Pirates’ standout performers in the 2022/23 season, was beginning to regain top form with five goals and one assist in 12 appearances across all competitions this term before being sidelined.
With Pirates still competing on multiple fronts — including the CAF Champions League and domestic cups — coach Jose Riveiro may be tempted to re-integrate the 25-year-old winger to ease the pressure on young stars like Mofokeng and struggling forwards such as Maswanganyi and Mabasa.
Despite the ongoing stand-off, Mokoena encouraged Saleng to honour his contract and return to playing. “The most important thing is to honour your contract and go play football. Let God deal with the rest and let your agent handle it while you’re on the field.”
Whether Pirates can keep pace with Sundowns and revive their title hopes may depend heavily on resolving Saleng’s situation — and soon.
