Pirates rubbish reports over Saleng and Maswanganyi exits

Orlando Pirates have denied reports that the club has turned down offers for Monnapule Saleng and Patrick Maswanganyi.

This comes after reports emerged in recent weeks stating that the Buccaneers rejected an offer from an unnamed club from the Gulf region.

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Further reports suggested that a Portuguese club had placed a bid for Maswanganyi during the current transfer window and it was turned down by Pirates.

Pirates have issued a statement denying the reports, saying the club has not received any official offers for the duo.

The Pirates statement:

As Orlando Pirates Football Club, we have noted with great concern a growing trend of misinformation circulating on social media and in certain media outlets regarding alleged offers for some of our players. Ordinarily, the Club refrains from engaging with baseless rumours aimed at creating unnecessary sensationalism and clickbait. However, the persistence and escalation of these unsubstantiated claims now compel us to set the record straight.

The misinformation began with a fabricated story regarding Monnapule Saleng, alleging that the Club had denied the player a lucrative transfer opportunity to a team in the Middle East. Initially, we chose to disregard this as, yet another false narrative meant to explain the player’s temporary absence from the playing squad. Unfortunately, the story has since gained unwarranted traction, even being picked up by some mainstream media outlets.

Here are the facts:

1. Monnapule Saleng
   • Orlando Pirates Football Club categorically denies ever receiving any offer from a Middle Eastern club for the services of Monnapule Saleng.
   • On 13 January 2025, Kickoff.co.za published an article titled, The Gulf Region team was serious about Saleng, a story claiming that an agent, Rui Frois, met with a “high-ranking” Pirates official to discuss Saleng’s availability. Let it be clear:
     • The Club does not conduct its business in malls.
     • No official from Orlando Pirates Football Club has spoken to Mr. Rui Frois regarding this matter.
2. Patrick Maswanganyi
   • On 20 January 2025, Briefly News Sports published an article titled, Portuguese Club Eyes Bid for R40 Million-Rated Orlando Pirates Star. Once again, the Club categorically rejects this as sheer gossip. No such offer has been presented to the Club.
   • It is deeply troubling that these baseless stories are not only misleading but also serve to disrupt the focus of our players and destabilise the team. This is entirely unacceptable.

As a professional organisation, Orlando Pirates Football Club remains committed to conducting our business with integrity and transparency. We urge media outlets and individuals to verify information before publishing, as false reporting not only harms the players and the Club but also diminishes the credibility of the platforms involved.

We thank our supporters for their unwavering trust and encourage them to rely on official channels for accurate updates.