Monnapule Saleng went from being a DStv Premiership rookie to one of the league's most dangerous players, although the speedy attacker's rise to prominence had long been identified by a former Pirates coach.
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Saleng had proven that he could score goals at Free State Stars, but he was unproven at the highest level, which is why Pirates shipped him out to Swallows for the 2021/22 season, where he would get the much needed game time to adjust to the topflight.
He returned to Pirates hungrier than ever to succeed – and that he did.
Thrown into the deep end in a match against Mamelodi Sundowns, Saleng showed no signs of fear and took the match to the much-fancied Brazilians, a match that would be a catalyst for his inspiring season.
It is also that fear that has made Saleng stand out from his peers according to Pirates striker coach Scott Chickelday who enjoyed a month-long stint with Pirates where he got to see the Orbit College product up close.
"With Saleng, I think what he has is he plays without fear, which is what I love about him He doesn't fear anyone, you know, 1V1 He's very confident he's confident in front of goal, he shoots from various angles and for me he was one of the most exciting players that I seen in my time in South Africa, Chickelday told the Siya crew at the time.
Another element of his game that really left Chickelday impressed was his knack for assisting goals, which meant he contributed to the team's cause even in matches where he did not score.
"With Saleng, it's not just about his goals, he's very rounded and his numbers are very balanced. He scores goals and he creates goals So again, that's what's really sort of stood out for me," he said at the time.
For his efforts in guiding Pirates to a second-place finish in the DStv Premiership as well as the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles, Saleng was rightfully rewarded with the Players' Player of the Season award as well as the MTN8 Last Man Standing award.
It is for this reason that Saleng finds himself amongst the nominees for the Soccer Laduma Player of the Season award, which would round off a solid campaign for the speedster.
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