Ahead of their reunion this weekend, Orbit College FC coach Pogiso Makhoye has shared his reflections on discovering talented winger Monnapule Saleng eight years ago.
Saleng has made a loan switch to the newly promoted side after a challenging period at Orlando Pirates.
The Bafana Bafana winger saw limited game time last season due to contractual disagreements that kept him away from the club.
With the Buccaneers heading to Spain for pre-season, the 27-year-old has been given a lifeline. He will spend the upcoming season at the Rustenburg-based club, a prospect that excites the very coach who unearthed his talent back in 2017.
“I’m very happy to have my son back. I still can’t believe it. I think I will believe it when I see him when we return to training on Saturday or when the club unveils him,” Makhoye told Radio2000.
He revealed that Saleng was one of the players he asked management to engage Pirates about, at least on loan, given his situation at the club. Without a doubt, he becomes their biggest signing as they start pre-season on Saturday.
MAKHOYE ON DISCOVERING MONNAPULE SALENG
“My relationship with Saleng goes back eight years. I discovered the boy when he was young. I brought him to Rustenburg. I worked with him for three years. That’s why I say he’s like a son to me. I made him the player he is today. No one knows this player more than me,” he added.
With the 2023 PSL Players’ Player of the Year now at the peak of his career, Makhoye is excited about working with him again. He believes his return to Orbit could reopen the Bafana door for the nippy winger.
“He’s at the peak of his career. He needs to play more. He needs to go back to Bafana Bafana because he still has a lot to offer.”
The coach, who guided Orbit to promotion, has no doubt that the former Free State Stars attacker “will fit like a glove” in his team due to their playing style.
“He knows the team. He knows the culture. He’s been here before …Like I say, I’m the one who developed him.
I know he can play four positions up front. He can play on the right, on the left wing, as a 10 or as a striker. He scored lots of goals when he was here, especially in his last season.”
He revealed that they speak everyday and Saleng is very happy to rejoin the team he last played for in the third-tier.
“If he didn’t want to come here, this move wouldn’t have happened. We cannot bring a player that doesn’t want to be here. He wants to come and help the team.”
Saleng started his career at Orbit before moving to Free State Stars in 2019. After finishing as the top scorer in the National First Division with 13 goals in 29 matches, he was signed by the Buccaneers.
However, he spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Moroka Swallows, where he scored twice in 22 league appearances. He returned to Pirates for the 2022/23 season, where he became a first-team regular.
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