Ex-Chiefs winger on why youngsters like Nkota are outshining Saleng

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Thuso Phala believes Monnapule Saleng has been left behind by other young players such as Mohau Nkota because he “does not respect the game.”

Saleng has seen his stock fall in the last one year while at Orlando Pirates and is now plying his trade with newly-promoted Orbit College for which he finally scored his first goal on Saturday.

The winger had not played at Pirates since last November with no reason given why he was frozen from the squad under former coach Jose Riveiro.

Phala doubts Orbit winger can play for Chiefs

Meanwhile, new and young players like Nkota came up last season, taking his position and at the end of the campaign, he secured a big-money transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq.

Phala says Saleng’s struggles are down to how he looks at the game and doubts whether he can thrive at a club like Chiefs which needs more than talent to succeed.

“He's a quality player, at Kaizer Chiefs we want quality players but the unfortunate part is that, quality alone at Chiefs is not enough, like in the game of football, no one is bigger than the game or the team,” Phala said on omniaudioafrica YouTube Channel as quoted by Soccer Laduma.

Why has Saleng been outshone by Nkota?

“So if you respect the game, the game will respect you back. We don't know the reasons he stopped playing at Pirates, there were a lot of stories and in comes (Mohau) Nkota, Saleng is far more talented than Nkota. Nkota comes, plays a season, scores goals, national team and he gets a big-money move, because he respects the game.

“Now you look back and years later, you're like, maybe that's why he never got that move overseas. He's been there for two, three years, scoring in derbies and you ask yourself why he didn't go overseas. There were a lot of stories (but) respect the game. If he comes to Chiefs, will he come for respecting the game or he wants to shine? Because at the end of the day the team comes first,” he added.

Saleng has struggled for form since joining Orbit College with his coach even doubting his capabilities until on Saturday when he scored his first goal as they won against Richards Bay, his maiden goal in nine matches for the club.