Orbit College FC head coach Pogiso Makhoye has revealed how they are trying to get the best out of Orlando Pirates star Monnapule Saleng at the club.
The highly-rated winger joined the Betway Premiership newcomers Orbit College FC in the current transfer window on a season-long loan from the Buccaneers.
Saleng completed the move to the North West outfit alongside his other Pirates teammates, Thuso Moleleki and Yanga Madiba.
In the previous campaign, Saleng spent most of his time on the sidelines after his fallout with the club’s management over a reported contractual dispute. Jose Riveiro was at the helm at the time before his departure to Al Ahly.
The Bafana Bafana international has been a key figure for Pirates in the past three seasons, playing a major role in delivering five domestic trophies for the club. At Bucs so far, Saleng has made 70 appearances across all competitions, scoring 25 goals and providing 17 assists. However, last season, the pacey winger was limited to just 13 matches, where he scored five goals.
After Saleng fell out of favour, Mohau Nkota took over the left-wing position. Nkota’s impressive breakthrough season earned him a move to Saudi Arabian club Ettifaq.
WHAT ORBIT COLLEGE FC COACH SAID ABOUT SALENG
Hoping to revive his career, Saleng has rejoined his former club, Orbit College. The 28-year-old previously played for Mswenko Boys in the ABC Motsepe League from 2017 to 2019. His impressive performance there caught the attention of Free State Stars and later, Pirates, who loaned him out to Moroka Swallows in his first season.
Makhoye, who led Orbit to the Betway Premiership through the PSL Promotional/Relegation playoffs, is confident that everyone will see a different Saleng this season. The left-footed winger has already made his first appearance since returning to the club in their 1-0 defeat to AmaZulu FC this past weekend.
“With Saleng, we’re just giving him the love and making sure that he fully enjoys the game again,” Makhoye told FARPost.
“So we are making sure that he’s surrounded by happiness, and I think the boy is enjoying the game. I can say he’s feeling loved again, and everyone is just making things easy for him to accommodate him. I can say, come the start of the season, you are going to see the difference because he’s happy.”
Meanwhile, Makhoye coached Saleng in the ABC Motsepe before the attacker signed with the now-defunct Free State Stars in the Motsepe Foundation Championship back in 2019.
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