Orlando Pirates are enjoying a strong run this season, performing well across all competitions. The club is currently sitting second in the Betway Premiership and topped their CAF Champions League group, which included heavyweights Al Ahly. They’ve already added a trophy to their collection, having successfully defended their MTN8 title earlier in the season. However, there have been some whispers about potential disciplinary issues within the squad. One of the most talked-about situations involves star player Monnapule Saleng, though details about his status at the club remain unclear.
Another player who recently found himself out of the starting lineup was Patrick Maswanganyi, whose absence coach Jose Riveiro attributed to health reasons, though there have been conflicting rumors. In Pirates’ 2-1 win over Richard’s Bay in the Nedbank Cup last weekend, there appeared to be some tension between Thalente Mbatha and Riveiro after the former was substituted.
However, according to Soccer-Laduma, the situation is calm, and there are no issues between Mbatha and Riveiro. A source close to the team clarified, “There’s nothing to talk about, to be honest. The latest is that Mbatha is training and preparing for the next game, the Soweto Derby, like everyone else. Sometimes, people shouldn’t read too much into what’s posted on social media because not everything there is accurate. There are no problems.”
This will be a relief to Pirates fans, who were already dealing with the Saleng situation. Now, they can fully focus on the upcoming Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs, without any unnecessary distractions.
Pirates supporters, are you relieved that everything seems to be settled between Mbatha and Riveiro? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
