Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye has raised concerns about the influence of Orlando Pirates loanee Monnapule Saleng on his side, suggesting that the winger has not delivered what was expected of him.
Speaking on Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube on Metro FM, Makhoye admitted that Saleng’s presence has sometimes negatively affected the team’s balance.
“Those are the things we need to assess in these two weeks (FIFA break) there is a possibility that we might see an Orbit College that has a lot less of Saleng,” said Makhoye.
The coach did not hold back when highlighting the difference in team dynamics when Saleng is on the field compared to when he is absent. “Exactly, I spoke to him and said, “You need to up your game. We were playing a top team [against Orlando Pirates] on Tuesday, and you came back into the team [against TS Galaxy], we became a different team, negatively, because on Tuesday everyone was working, everyone could run,” said Makhoye.
“That is the mentality I want in the team, that is why I am saying it goes both ways, to say he must lead us as a big player. Now the weight is on him, when he is not playing everyone is putting that 110% effort, but when he is on the field, the players tend to say we rely on you (Saleng) to lead us,” said Makhoye.
The coach admitted that the club had high expectations when Saleng joined,but feels the player has not yet lived up to his billing. “So far, I think he is not giving us what we expected from him as a big player, a player who came as a big name,” said Makhoye.
“So, those are things we need to check as a team to say, is he really affecting the team? Are we playing better when he is in the team or when he is not in the team? So, those are the things we need to look at,” said Makhoye.
With two weeks of the FIFA break to regroup, Makhoye will be hoping to resolve the Saleng issue and find the right balance for Orbit College moving forward.
IOL Sport
