Downs coach Cardoso exposes the truth!

CARDOSO exposed the truth.

Monnapule Saleng can no longer hide behind silence.

In journalism, we are taught that there are always two sides to a story — a principle that applies equally to life. It’s our duty to balance our reporting by capturing both perspectives, but that responsibility becomes impossible when one party retreats into silence. Without hearing from the other side, uncovering the absolute truth is out of reach.

Yet, for whatever reason, some individuals choose to completely avoid media accountability, leaving the public to judge them solely on their actions.

This is exactly what has happened with Monnapule Saleng. Because he refuses to speak, he has been heavily criticised and judged based on a highly damning, one-sided narrative. But if this situation is a cry for help, it’s also a massive wake-up call. A player of his undeniable calibre can’t simply blame bad luck for the fact that he leaves a trail of chaos and turbulent tenures everywhere he goes. These self-inflicted storms are entirely predictable, and they are actively destroying his career.

Since bursting onto the scene, headlines about Saleng have been dominated by uninspiring off-field controversies rather than football.

After taking the league by storm — particularly during his sensational 2022 MTN8 campaign a few seasons ago — the Bloemhof, North West-born player had the football world at his feet. He was touted as the next big star of the domestic league.

Instead, that immense promise was completely squandered when he abruptly vanished from the Orlando Pirates squad without explanation. This marked the beginning of a downward spiral of his own making.

To their credit, the Pirates management protected him by remaining tight-lipped until they finally shipped him back to his former club, Orbit College, to salvage what was left of his career. He briefly showed a spark with a Man of the Match performance in his debut, but his commitment clearly lacked longevity. He soon vanished from the team sheet again.

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It came as a massive shock when Mamelodi Sundowns announced his signing last season — a move many viewed as a risky gamble by the Brazilians. While Saleng showed fleeting glimpses of his former brilliance, his disappearing act quickly resumed.

The situation finally reached a boiling point when Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was forced to explain the player’s ongoing absence. Tired of acting as a shield for a player who refuses to show up, Cardoso had no choice but to break the football code and expose the internal mess. It was undoubtedly a difficult decision for the Portuguese mentor to air the club’s dirty laundry publicly, but relentless scrutiny leaves a manager with no other option but to defend their own professional integrity.

Confronted with constant questions about Saleng and exhausted from defending the indefensible, Cardoso felt obligated to set the record straight.

The facts laid bare by Cardoso are damning. Saleng has committed multiple disciplinary breaches over the past few months. Most egregiously, the 28-year-old winger simply failed to report for a vital CAF Champions League trip to face AS Rabat in May, completely abandoning his teammates despite being selected for the squad.

To add insult to injury, he then refused to join the team’s pre-season tour of Austria. Unsurprisingly, management lost patience, and Saleng has now been rightfully banished from first-team training.

Unsurprisingly, this has divided opinion.

While some lenient supporters still sympathise with him, many are rightfully condemning his blatant lack of professionalism. It is impossible not to judge a player when his talent is repeatedly overshadowed by such reckless behaviour. There may well be a deeper issue at play, but until Saleng chooses to speak out and face the music, the public can only judge him by his actions. He holds the key to ending this disaster — not just to save what remains of his career, but out of respect for the followers who have grown tired of defending him.

The ball is now firmly in his court!

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