Orlando Pirates midfielder Monnapule Saleng bagged two accolades at the 2023 PSL Awards ceremony held on Sunday night, following his impressive performances throughout the just-concluded campaign.
The Bucs breakout star was one of the standout players across competitions in his first season back in the Club’s colours following a loan spell, as he contributed towards securing a cup double.
He scored four nominations ahead of the ceremony, eventually walking off with the MTN Last Man Standing accolade and the coveted DStv Premiership Players’ Player of the Season award, voted on by his peers.
Saleng debuted for the Buccaneers in the home leg of the MTN 8 semifinal tie against Mamelodi Sundowns, and had an even bigger impact in the second leg at Peter Mokaba where he had a hand in all three goals scored in a clinical 3-0 victory, grabbing an assist before netting twice to send his side to the final.
He followed that performance up by netting a first-half goal against AmaZulu, which was the difference in the final at Moses Mabhida Stadium. With three crucial goals and an assist in the tournament, he was duly named the player of the tournament.
The 25-year-old’s heroics stretched beyond the MTN 8, with nominations across the two other PSL top-flight competitions.
He walked off with the Players’ Player of the Season award after scoring 11 times in the league, providing an impressive eight assists in just 22 appearances.
In total, Saleng has found the net 15 times in all competitions, providing 11 assists to emerge as one of the standout players in a season where the Buccaneers claimed the MTN 8 and Nedbank Cup trophies, along with qualifying for next season’s CAF Champions League.
