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Football Betway Premiership Orlando Pirates

Pirates Denies Transfer Rumors Surrounding Saleng And Patrick Maswanganyi

  • January 22, 2025
  • 3 min read
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Pirates Denies Transfer Rumors Surrounding Saleng And Patrick Maswanganyi

Orlando Pirates has confirmed that there has been no offer for their star player Monnapule Saleng, who has been missing in action for the Soweto Giants for some time due to unknown reasons.  

There have been reports that Saleng was wanted by a club in the Middle East and a video was taken when the player appeared not pleased when Pirates played at home recently, with fans saying the player was denied to leave the club.  

However, Pirates have distance by saying there has been no offer for Saleng, who was named the PSL Players’ Player of the Season in the 2022/23 season.  

“As Orlando Pirates Football Club, we have noted with great concern a growing trend of misinformation circulating on social media and in certain media outlets regarding alleged offers for some of our players,” said Pirates in a statement on Wednesday. 

“Ordinarily, the club refrains from engaging with baseless rumours aimed at creating unnecessary sensationalism and clickbait.  

“However, the persistence and escalation of these unsubstantiated claims now compel us to set the record straight. 

“The misinformation began with a fabricated story regarding Monnapule Saleng, alleging that the Club had denied the player a lucrative transfer opportunity to a team in the Middle East.  

“Initially, we chose to disregard this as, yet another false narrative meant to explain the player’s temporary absence from the playing squad. Unfortunately, the story has since gained unwarranted traction, even being picked up by some mainstream media outlets. 

“Here are the facts: Monnapule Saleng 

“Orlando Pirates Football Club categorically denies ever receiving any offer from a Middle Eastern club for the services of Monnapule Saleng. 

“On 13 January 2025, Kickoff.co.za published titled, The Gulf Region team was serious about Saleng, a story claiming that an agent, Rui Frois, met with a “high-ranking” Pirates official to discuss Saleng’s availability.  

“Let it be clear: The Club does not conduct its business in malls. 

“No official from Orlando Pirates Football Club has spoken to Mr. Rui Frois regarding this matter.” 

The club also released a statement where it was rumoured that Saleng’s successor in the Player of the Season last term, Patrick Maswanganyi, was also approached by the club in Portugal.  

Maswanganyi, unlike Saleng, has been playing regularily and helped Pirates reached the CAF Champions League quarter finals this past weekend as they toppled Al Ahly in Cairo.  

“On 20 January 2025, Briefly News Sports published an article titled, Portuguese Club Eyes Bid for R40 Million-Rated Orlando Pirates Star,” Pirates added. 

“Once again, the Club categorically rejects this as sheer gossip. No such offer has been presented to the Club. 

“It is deeply troubling that these baseless stories are not only misleading but also serve to disrupt the focus of our players and destabilise the team. This is entirely unacceptable. 

“As a professional organisation, Orlando Pirates football club remains committed to conducting our business with integrity and transparency. 

“We urge media outlets and individuals to verify information before publishing, as false reporting not only harms the players and the Club but also diminishes the credibility of the platforms involved. 

“We thank our supporters for their unwavering trust and encourage them to rely on official channels for accurate updates.”  

Pirates were supposed to play against Royal AM at Harry Gwala Stadium in the Betway Premiership on Thursday, but that game has been postponed along with Royal AM’s Nedbank Cup round of 32 against Milford FC on Monday due to the club under the curatorship.  

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