Monnapule Saleng of Orlando Pirates during DStv Premiership 2022/23 match between Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows on the 14 January 2022 at Orlando Stadium © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Orlando Pirates: Monnapule Saleng continues to break barriers
Monnapule Saleng continued to break barriers as he single-handedly destroyed Swallows in the team’s 4-1 win on Friday night.
Monnapule Saleng of Orlando Pirates during DStv Premiership 2022/23 match between Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows on the 14 January 2022 at Orlando Stadium © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Orlando Pirates attacker Monnapule Saleng continued to break barriers as he single-handedly destroyed Swallows in the team’s 4-1 win on Friday night.
Saleng netted his first hat-trick in the Pirates colours, and therefore, matching a number of records set by players who came and left before him.
According to OptaJabu, Saleng joined an exclusive club of two players to score a league hat-trick away from home in the history of the PSL.
The left-footer joined Pollen Ndlanya (hat-trick away to AmaZulu in 2002) and Gabadinho Mhango (hat-trick away to Polokwane City in 2020).
Furthermore, OptaJabu reports that Saleng is only the eighth Pirates’ player to score a hat-trick of league goals since the inception of the PSL in 1996.
MONNAPULE SALENG EMULATES MHANGO AT ORLANDO PIRATES
Meanwhile, Saleng emulated Mhango by becoming the first player to net double figures for goals since the Malawi international during the 2019-20, said OptaJabu.
This means it has taken Pirates almost four years to have a player to score 10+ goals across all competitions for them in a single season.
Saleng has been in red-hot form for Pirates so much so that his name has already been bandied about in the debate for PSL’s Player of the Season award.
