Saleng told to take top player snub on the chin: Orlando Pirates skipper Innocent Maela has told his star teammate Monnapule Saleng to take his PSL
Despite inspiring Pirates to a domestic double and making sure they qualify for next season’s CAF Champions League via finishing second on the log, Saleng was pipped to the lucrative footballer of the season accolade by Mamelodi Sundowns’ midfield workhorse Teboho Mokoena at the PSL’s annual year-end awards, held virtually on Sunday.
The Pirates star, however, won the players’ player of the year gong and the MTN8 best player award. Saleng missing out has since sparked a debate as many are adamant he should have won it ahead of Mokoena, having been instrumental in Pirates’ success, where they won the MTN8 and the Nedbank cup, while finishing second on the log. Saleng also netted 15 goals in all competitions, racking up 11 assists.
“Obviously Saleng missed out on the biggest award but I think this is a moment for him to reflect. This gives him an opportunity to improve and make sure that he works even harder and achieves even more, so that he actually makes that step [of winning the footballer of the season gong],” Maela said when the Pirates squad visited their sponsor Vodacom’s headquarters in Midrand yesterday.
“This should be a motivation for him to say, ‘okay I didn’t get it this time but I will go even harder next season’. He’s ok, he’s happy to be here with us, he’s content. The team congratulated him for the awards he managed to win. He’s okay, he can’t wait to enjoy his off time and rest... I mean the guy worked really, really hard this season. He put in all the hard work at training and in games, his discipline is amazing as well. The guy is dedicated to his craft. He’s always smiling.
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