There’s a lingering sense that if Monnapule Saleng were fully fit and ready for the Betway Premiership showdown against Orlando Pirates, the occasion would carry even more electricity than it already does.
This fixture already carries enough heat on its own, but the return of Saleng—especially after his dramatic fallout with the Buccaneers—would add an explosive edge to an encounter that hardly needs more spice.
Read: Preview – Orlando Pirates vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Not too long ago, Saleng was the poster boy at Pirates, helping them dominate the domestic cup scene where he starred in two finals against Mamelodi Sundowns… but then things unravelled. Disputes over remuneration cast a long shadow, and what once looked like a long-term love story between player and club turned sour.
His departure to Orbit College raised eyebrows as he was turned into a Pirates outcast, and with that, only a few could have predicted the next twist – a shocking switch to Sundowns.
Saleng completed his move to Sundowns last month, joining a squad brimming with quality and expectation. he 27-year-old is still waiting for his debut, and the anticipation has only heightened curiosity about when he will finally be unleashed.
Downs head coach Miguel Cardoso has offered a timeline for Saleng’s potential return, carefully managing expectations around his readiness. But football has a flair for theatre, which leads to the imagination of: what if his first appearance in Sundowns colours came in this blockbuster clash against his former employers?
Few understand the emotional weight of facing a former club better than Teko Modise. Once the darling of the Pirates faithful, Modise later crossed the divide and carved out a trophy-laden spell with Sundowns, collecting multiple league titles and lifting the 2016 Caf Champions League.
“Everybody in the country knows the qualities of Monnapule Saleng. I don’t know where his level of fitness is but it is a game where if given a chance he can play to the best of his abilities,” Modise told Hollywoobets Sports Blog
“He has a duty to do what he has to do as a footballer. I don’t think it is a game where we should be looking if he should be used. Mamelodi Sundowns play well regardless of who is on the pitch, and he is a Sundowns player now, if given an opportunity, the expectations would be to do what he has to do based on the plans of coach Cardoso.
“As a player who has played for both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, it is always a challenge to face your former team, but yet again, it when you are being surrounded by quality players but this is not a game where I would be looking if he is going to play or not because there are so many matches Sundowns will play after this match,” the Hollywoodbets Brand Ambassador added.
Saleng is unlikely to feature against Pirates but a debut in Sundowns colours against his former club would have been the kind of storyline even the finest scriptwriters would struggle to turn down.
For now, though, it remains suspended in the realm of imagination.
Written by: Michaelson Gumede