Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng has opened up on his loan stint at Swallows and how it felt to return to the club but watch on from the bench at the start of the 2022/23 season.
Saleng had just completed his first full season in the DStv Premiership as a regular with Swallows, where he scored twice and added as many assists in 29 games.
While he showed glimpses of the quality that landed him a move from Free State Stars to Pirates, not many thought what was to come, was about to come – especially during periods where he was allowed to face his parent club in the league.
“When I was on loan playing with a big team, the exact team that loaned you, there is so much pressure but you must play your game because you want to play, but it’s against your team… it gives you the hunger to perform,” Saleng admitted.
“It pushes you to perform but it hurts playing against them but I stayed on my own level because I played soccer the normal way I’m used to playing I didn’t want to impress, I play my own style.
“When I was called back I felt happy because when I first signed I was sent on loan, but when I came back I knew that I needed to compete for my space, as for the players, I appreciated how they welcome me, the way they were so happy when I returned to the team,” he added.
“As a human being it gives you that encouragement that they believe in you, they are happy that you came to the club.”
Having watched on from the sidelines for the first nine league games of the season, Saleng was offered a chance in the team after injuries to Vincent Pule and Thembinkosi Lorch and he’s not looked back.
“I was genuinely okay with players that were given the chance to play because we are a team so we have to support each other,” Saleng said.
“So to me, it was about waiting for my time without knowing what the coach was thinking when I was on the bench for the previous games, so to me it was to continue working hard when the time is right I will show that I can help the team, when it is my time to do so.
“Sitting on the bench was for supporting my teammate so we could win, after all, we are a team so we need to support each other.”
Overall, Saleng has scored 14 goals and registered five assists in 23 games across all competitions for the Soweto giants.
