With rumours circulating that Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng's 'disappearance' has to do with the club not entertaining his overseas interest, Lebohang Mokoena has warned the 26-year-old.
KickOff.com revealed a week ago that Pirates were not willing to release Saleng to UAE Pro League club Al Nasr, according agent Rui Frois, who proposed the offer of $700, 000 (R13, 4 million) in tax-free salaries for the first year, after he won the PSL Footballer of the Season in 2022/23.
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The former Free State Stars man has not been the same since, scoring only five goals last season.
However, he continued to attract overseas interest post the 2023/24 campaign, as Monaco and an unnamed club in Belgium were reported to have shown strong interest.
Saleng is rumoured to be unsettled by The Buccaneers not accepting bids for his services, after he started the season well, already scoring five goals in 13 games.
He, however, has been in and out of the matchday squad, last featuring in a goalless draw against Al Ahly in early December last year.
Mokoena has warned the 26-year-old that it is in his best interests to return as soon as possible.
"His talking should be on the field and not give attitude by not going to training, and that is one thing I tried to teach him when I was there," Mokoena said on SoccerBeat YouTube Channel.
"That Pirates is a big club, they can replace you any minute, any day, you can sit on the side for the rest of the season. The Pirates supporters will even forget you, my guy, even South African supporters. That's how cruel this game is. So, you have to respect the game.
"The earlier (he returns), the better. Have a mutual agreement with the club and say: 'Going forward, if I bring league title, we get (to) CAF Champions League final, I would have done my part, and end of the season or next season you can release me'.
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"But if they don't have a mutual agreement, it's just gonna be a downward spiral. I've been at Pirates... Listen, all doors will be closed, my friend, that I can guarantee you," Mokoena added.
Given his experience in front of goal, the left-footed attacker could be the difference between the team winning the league or coming up short.
A glimmer of hope for The Ghost is that in the latest pictures shared by the club on their official social media pages, Saleng can be seen hard at training with the rest of his teammates at Harry Gwala Stadium, but whether he will actually feature against Royal AM on Thursday remains a mystery.