Pirates’ Saleng ‘going through some stuff’ after seeing ‘those numbers’: ‘Cheeseboy’

Bucs legend advises player he mentored at Swallows to mend relationship and get back to playing

Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng during a Soweto derby in March 2024. File photo
Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng during a Soweto derby in March 2024. File photo
Image: Antonio Muchave

Former Moroka Swallows teammate and mentor Lebohang “Cheeseboy” Mokoena says he understands why Orlando Pirates star Monnapule Saleng “is going through some stuff”, but advised the winger to do his talking on the field.

Saleng has five goals in 13 appearances in 2024-25, but only three came in the Bucs’ 11 Betway Premiership matches. The forward has disappeared from action from late last year, only making a brief cameo in a 1-0 league win against Richards Bay in November and playing 90 minutes in Pirates’ 1-1 Champions League draw against Al Ahly at Orlando Stadium in December.

Reports have been Saleng has missed training sessions, with agent Rui Fros telling several publications the root of the problem is Bucs turned down an offer from Saudi club Al Nasr that could have netted the player earnings of $700,000 (R13m) in his first year.

Pirates legend Mokoena, who roomed with Saleng and mentored the winger early in his career at Swallows, said he understands his friend’s frustration.

Mokoena said he could also see Bucs' perspective, not wanting to let Saleng go as they chase the Premiership title and are through to the Caf Champoins League quarterfinals, and the player is doing his career no favours if he is in self-imposed exile.

In this must-watch episode of Talking Pirates by SoccerBeat, Pirates legend Cheezboy Mokoena speaks passionately about the ongoing situation with Monnapule Saleng and his former club. - SoccerBeat

“Once he saw those numbers I think a lot of things went through his mind,” Mokoena said in an interview with the YouTube podcast SoccerBeat.

“I don’t know who advised him, whether it was the agent. The agent came out and said it [Saleng’s absence at Pirates] is probably because of the offer that did not go through.

“He’s going through some stuff. It does affect you as a player.

“If you see those numbers you are already thinking, ‘Ah, this is going to change my life, my family’. 

“That’s where you need management, you need ex-players, people who have been there, to sit down with the boy and say, ‘There are players who have been through this before’.

“Pirates has always allowed players to go overseas. You can name a lot — Lyle Foster, Andile Jali, Kermit Erasmus, Mark Fish.

“I think with Pirates maybe not releasing him is probably the club looking at this season. My wish is if he could see the bigger picture and complete the season and help the club.

“Because the club is in charge — you signed a contract so they decide. I’ve said in a previous interview, it’s not easy. I wanted to go overseas but at the end of the day the club was in control.

“But that never put my spirit down because I knew I had age on my side and also the club that is interested in me wants to see me playing.

“If I sit out and don’t play that’s also going to give a bad impression to that club that if things go wrong or an offer comes, is it the same treatment they are going to get?

“As a professional I think it’s crucial he gets himself back in training and refocused. Even if he doesn’t get much game time, be in the spirit of the team and let the club deal with it.

“Performing on the field, that’s how you do your talking. Not outside, not by not going to training, not by giving an attitude at training.

“That’s what I tried to tell him [previously], that Pirates is a big club, they can replace you at any minute on any day, you can sit on the sidelines for the rest of the season, the Pirates supporters will even forget you. Even South African supporters will forget you.

“That’s how cruel this game is so you have to respect the game.”

Mokoena — who also starred for Mamelodi Sundowns, Ajax Cape Town and Maccabi FC in Israel — detailed the relationship he established when the veteran and a young Saleng were teammates at Swallows in the 2021-22 season.

“I met the boy while I was at Swallows when we were playing in the NFD. Saleng was at Free State [Stars], playing under Paulus Masehe, who’s a close friend of mine too. During the match he was doing a lot of crazy things.

“We got to know the boy and the next season Pirates snatched him up and loaned him out to Swallows. That’s when we started to build the relationship.

“I shared a room with hm. Knowing I had been at Pirates we had a lot of discussions about the club, what he should do to gain the trust of the fans and where he could improve his game.

“ I was glad that when he went back to Pirates he was a machine, he did wonders for the club and he’s still going to do wonders for the club.”


subscribe

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.