Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says Monnapule Saleng is not a forgotten player following his brilliant display in their 3-2 Soweto derby win against rivals Kaizer Chiefs.
Saleng netted a brace in the five-goal thriller and one of the most exhilarating Soweto derbies in a long-time at a sold-out FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates came back from behind twice in the highly entertaining game, with Saleng cancelling out the two first half goals by Amakhosi’s Ashley du Preez.
Saleng, who walked away with the PSL Players Player of the Season accolade in the 2022/23 season, has had a slow start this season, sitting on the Pirates bench in the last 12 league games.
The former Moroka Swallows star made a surprise return to the Pirates starting lineup – a decision Riveiro said was backed by a solid performance by a player that has had challenges recently.
“Saleng didn’t have a good half of the season for multiple reasons, we cannot discuss it in this space,” Riveiro told the media during a post-match interview on Saturday evening.
“In the Afcon break, I think he did a very good job in the second pre-season we had and in the training matches.
“He came on to play [Mamelodi] Sundowns, in Pretoria, not a bad job. And then we couldn’t have continuity with him for something simple like the flu that separated him from the group when we travelled to Polokwane.
“And then we used the game against Crystal Lake [in the Nedbank Cup]to see other options, use other players, and then Wednesday he could have been an option from the bench against Cape Town Spurs.
“He was ready to play but, in the end, I tried something different and kept him ready to play this game the way he did it,” Riveiro added.
Riveiro reiterated that Saleng is not a forgotten player at Pirates and said he needs all the support he needs to get back to his best.
“He’s not a forgotten player that’s for sure, you saw him today,” Riveiro added.
“He needs our support also, our help to be again the Saleng that everybody saw last season – and he’s right now doing the right steps.”
