After Orlando Pirates finished 12 points behind champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership, Buccaneers legend Eugene Zwane has suggested that the gap could have been closed if Monnapule Saleng was available.
The Soweto giants started the season strongly, winning seven games in a row for the first time in their PSL history and by December last year, there was still a big hope that the title race with Sundowns would go down to the wire.
The Soweto giants started the season strongly, winning seven games in a row for the first time in their PSL history and by December last year, there was still a big hope that the title race with Sundowns would go down to the wire.
However, The Ghosts started to falter and dropped crucial points in the new year, which coincidence with the absence of Saleng, who was not available for selection from early December, due to a contractual dispute with Pirates.
Ezimnyama, actually had a 100 percent win record in the league where the former Free State Stars forward played, although the 27-year-old only played in three Premiership matches, scoring two goals in the process.
Even though the Bloemhof native attacker was limited to 13 appearances in all competitions this past term, he still managed to score five goals, an average of at least one goal in every two matches.
Saleng had appeared to have rediscovered his form early in the campaign, considering that he had scored five goals the whole of the 2023/24 season.
Pirates legend Zwane believes the Saleng matter affected the Soweto giants severely in the title race.
"The Saleng issue was a big factor. While on the one hand they were able to promote these good youngsters, the likes of (Mohau) Nkota," Zwane told Soccer Laduma.
"But the quality and experience of Saleng was missed. I think had Saleng played from December to the end of the season (at the end of May) Pirates could have performed much better.
"There were times in attack where they were not really that strong because of the Saleng factor. They tried and kept on pushing but the odds were stacked against them," Zwane added.
