Jose Riveiro Breaks Silence on Monnapule Saleng’s Mysterious Decline at Orlando Pirates

Former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has opened up about the puzzling downfall of winger Monnapule Saleng, shedding light on one of the most controversial player sagas in recent PSL history. The Spaniard’s comments come as part of the second episode of Giants, the Buccaneers’ behind-the-scenes docu-series airing on SuperSportTV.

Saleng, once a key figure in the Pirates’ attacking setup, went six months without featuring in a single competitive match during the 2023/24 season. His sudden disappearance from the lineup reportedly stemmed from a contractual disagreement with the club—marking the beginning of a tense and prolonged standoff.

The docu-series episode delves deep into the internal struggles, with Riveiro revealing that he too was confused by the abrupt change in Saleng’s attitude and performance. His breaking point appeared to be during the shock 3-2 Carling Knockout defeat to Magesi, where Pirates were trailing 3-0 by halftime.

“The period of the season was weird, with Saleng,” Riveiro admitted. “So he (Saleng) takes you to a weird space, where you start to speculate if he’s okay or not, if he really wants to play for the team, or not.”

Riveiro went on to describe how uncharacteristic Saleng had become, highlighting how the usually energetic and committed winger looked unrecognisable.

“You could see that the boy is not happy; he’s just not himself,” he said. “He’s not the guy enjoying every action, even if he has to run to defend 60 meters, he enjoys the action as well. And he wasn’t there—it was weird.”

Instead of focusing on the distraction, Riveiro chose to shift his attention to players who were still committed to the cause.

“I tried to concentrate on what’s coming for the ones who want to go to the field and fight for the team one more time… and not giving time or energy to that issue, even though it was not something really nice to see.”

When Saleng himself was interviewed in the series, he declined to go into specifics, only offering a cryptic:
“What caused the situation? A lot of things. A lot of things happened.”

Now 27, Saleng has since been loaned out to Orbirt College for the 2025/26 season in a move that may help him rebuild his career away from the spotlight. Meanwhile, Pirates have begun a new chapter under the guidance of newly appointed coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who kicked off his tenure with a commanding MTN8 quarter-final victory over Polokwane City.

As the Buccaneers look ahead, the Saleng saga serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a star’s trajectory can shift—and how behind-the-scenes tensions can impact even the most talented of players.