Monnapule Saleng is among a few big South African stars racing against time for a shop window in Morocco, as his loan move to Orbit College could take him out of contention.
After spending just over half-a-season on the sidelines, owing to differences with Pirates, Saleng is gearing up for a new campaign, looking to revive his career, following a report by Soccer Laduma that he could have signed a new contract with the Soweto giants.
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As revealed, Orbit College remained a possible destination on loan, reports of which have since become reality after the Soweto giants confirmed the move on Thursday.
By moving to the newly-promoted outfit, he could miss out on the Bafana Bafana squad that will do duty at the AFCON in December, as Hugo Broos' charges will resume FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September and October, before the squad for the biennial tournament is finalized a month or so later.
Missed is an opportunity to prove himself at Pirates under new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, which could stand as a parachute to Broos' radar.
However, club legend Moeneeb Josephs believes for the sake of his career, a move for Saleng to Mswenko Boys could be what the doctor ordered.
"There's different aspects to look for Saleng going to Orbit. Yes, we would have loved to have him stay at Orlando Pirates, but if he's going that way, it must have been agreed and for him to say, 'I'm happy'," Josephs weighed in on Soccerbeat YouTube Channel.
"For a person who has been out of football for so long, that's a perfect situation for him because there's not much pressure at Orbit like it is at Pirates, where they're gonna be chasing things and he'll be playing for his position.
"But a player of his stature going to a team like Orbit, their mentality should be only to survive, and you have Saleng there without the stress of ‘I have to win things’. He can express himself, he can be himself, he could find himself again because definitely, he'll be a big fish in a small pond.
‘He will be carrying the team, that, 'Listen here, I'm the guy here'. This might just spark that old Saleng into action again. That's the perspective he could be looking at," added the ex-goalkeeper.
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Saleng nearly went into oblivion after a loan spell at Moroka Swallows in 2021/22, where The Birds finished in the relegation play-offs spot, scoring only two goals in 29 matches.
The winger was, however, rescued by Jose Riveiro, who spotted his raw talent in training at Pirates during his first campaign.
Photo by Charle Lombard/South Africa
