‘A permanent threat’ – Riveiro hails Pirates star Saleng

Monnapule Saleng often seems the permanent subject of speculation over a move away from Orlando Pirates, but on Saturday the Buccaneers winger gave another indication of why he is so valuable to Jose Riveiro’s side.

Saleng was the undoubted star of the show at Orlando Stadium, outshining the likes of Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng, as Pirates finally put SuperSport United to bed in extra time in their 3-1 MTN8 quarterfinal win.

If the 26 year-old carries on like this, a new deal surely beckons for Saleng, as, perhaps, does a second Player of the Tournament award in the MTN8 in three years. 

“He played well,” Riveiro told SuperSport TV after the game.

“He did a good job, he is a permanent threat in this mood. I am so happy for the boy, he is giving us a lot and hopefully it will continue.”

The game was delicately balanced when Saleng gathered the ball in the SuperSport penalty area in the 44^th minute. A sublime shift of feet took him to the byline and his low cross found Olisa Ndah, who flicked the ball brilliantly past Ricardo Goss.

At the start of extra time, Pirates may have been wondering how they would find another way past Goss, whose brilliant saves had kept SuperSport in the contest, after Vincent Pule had equalised for Matsatsantsa on debut, refusing to celebrate against his former employer.

But it was Saleng who found a way, helped by Kabelo Dlamini’s inch perfect cross from a well-worked set piece routine.

Saleng then nearly added another, as he broke clear of the SuperSport defence. He was denied by an onrushing Goss, but Evidence Makgopa was on hand to steer the ball into an empty net and effectively kill off the contest.

Emotions run high

SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt was sent off just after Makgopa’s goal, seemingly for something he said to the match officials.

SuperSport felt Saleng was offside in the build up to Pirates’ third goal (replays showed he was actually onside) and that they could have had two penalties for handball, with both appeals waved away by referee Abongile Tom.

“The game is built on emotion and what happens has high stakes,” Matsatsantsa assistant coach Andre Arendse told SuperSport TV.

“From our angle it was a clear offside … we will have to have a look and if not we will apologise. But we thought it was offside, that sparked emotion and one thing led to another.”