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‘He’s not giving us enough’ – Orbit coach on Monnapule Saleng

Lunga Biyela|Published

Struggling Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye has demanded more from Monnapule Saleng, who has joined the club on loan from Orlando Pirates, but has struggled to get going. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Monnapule Saleng has come under fire from Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye as the club endures a tough start to life in the top flight.

The newly promoted side have won just one and lost four of their first five games, and occupy 15th place in the league, two points ahead of bottom-placed Chippa.

Saleng, who joined on loan from Soweto giants Orlando Pirates, has not made an impact at the club where he first made a name for himself.

Against Pirates, where Saleng was not allowed to play, the club looked competitive as they ran their opponents close but lost 1-0. When he was back in the team for their next game against TS Galaxy, they struggled to get any momentum and were eventually beaten 3-0.

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In a chat with Metro FM’s Andile Ncube on Sports Night Amplified, Makhoye said he wanted to see more from the player, who was looking to revive his career after his well-documented struggles with Pirates last season.

“So far, I don’t think he’s giving us what we expected from him as a big-name player,” Makhoye told Ncube.

“These are the things we need to sit down and assess as a team. Is he really influencing our performances? Do we look better with him in the side, or are we stronger without him?”

“We had a conversation with him also to say you need to up your game. Because we played a top game on Tuesday. You came back to the team, and we became a different team. Because on Tuesday, everybody was working, everybody could run.

“At the moment, the weight is on him. When he isn’t on the pitch, the players give 110%. But when he is there, they tend to hold back and look to him to lead instead.”

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