Sundowns Legend Questions Saleng Transfer as Pirates Lead Title Race
Mamelodi Sundowns’ recent transfer activity has come under scrutiny, with club legend Harris Choeu suggesting that head coach Miguel Cardoso may not have been the driving force behind some of the latest signings. Speaking to KickOff, the former Sundowns midfielder raised doubts following the arrivals of Monnapule Saleng and Khulumani Ndamane, as the Tshwane giants find themselves trailing Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership standings at a critical stage of the season.
Choeu, affectionately known as ‘TV4’, believes the club’s hierarchy may still be weighing its long-term coaching plans, despite Cardoso currently being in charge of first-team affairs.
“I know how Motsepe operates, he probably wants to give Cardoso a chance until the end of the season,” Choeu told KickOff.
However, he suggested that decisions around recruitment could be influenced by figures outside the current technical setup, including former head coach Pitso Mosimane, who has been repeatedly linked with a return to Chloorkop.
“At the moment, it could be Cardoso signing the players, or it could be Pitso [Mosimane] behind the scenes. Pitso did it before when he joined Sundowns from SuperSport United. He began recommending players to Sundowns while still at SuperSport,” Choeu said.
“He even mentioned who he wanted and who he didn’t want as part of his technical team.
“Where does our coach, Cardoso, know Saleng from? He has never seen Saleng in his prime. So, this can’t be a Cardoso signing,” he added.
Mamelodi Sundowns new signings Brayan Lèon, Monnapule Saleng and Khulumani Ndamane (Image: X/@Masandawana)
Sundowns have been active in the market, bringing in former Orlando Pirates midfielder Saleng, TS Galaxy defender Ndamane, and Colombian attacker Brayan Lèon as they look to strengthen their squad for the second half of the campaign.
From a performance perspective, Sundowns’ position on the league table adds further context to the debate. After an unconvincing first round of the Betway Premiership, they currently sit second with 26 points from 13 matches. They trail leaders Orlando Pirates by two points, with the Buccaneers also holding a game in hand – a scenario that is unusual for a side chasing a ninth successive league title.
Sundowns are set to return to action on Monday when they host Orbit College FC at Loftus Versfeld. As the title race intensifies, questions around recruitment, leadership, and long-term planning are likely to persist, particularly if results fail to meet the club’s traditionally high standards in the weeks ahead.