When it comes to wingers lighting up the South African football scene, Orlando Pirates’ Monnapule Saleng is quickly becoming the name on everyone’s lips.
In fact, some experts now rate him as an even more dangerous winger than Al Ahly’s former star Percy Tau.
That’s a big claim, considering Tau’s impressive track record with the Egyptian giants.
Al Ahly’s Interest in Saleng and What Went Wrong
The buzz around Saleng isn’t new. For months, the record 12-time CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly, have been eyeing the 27-year-old winger.
This interest was recently confirmed by Hany Ramzy, a former scout for Al Ahly, who shared inside details in an Egyptian media interview.
Ramzy mentioned that former Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller was particularly keen on signing Saleng. However, the move never materialized.
According to Ramzy, Saleng’s pace and skill set make him stand out, describing him as “similar to Percy Tau but faster and with great skills.” Clearly, the Pirates have a gem on their hands.
Who Will Lead the Buccaneers Next Season?
While the transfer talk swirls around Saleng, the Orlando Pirates are also looking ahead to leadership changes within their squad.
After three seasons wearing the captain’s armband, defender Innocent Maela has moved on, leaving a vacancy for the next team leader.
Orlando Pirates legend Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi has weighed in on the debate about the new skipper.
He believes the natural choice is Bafana Bafana defender Nkosinathi Sibisi.
Vilakazi expressed some confusion over the Pirates’ tendency to release captains but is confident that Sibisi has the qualities needed to step up as captain.
