Ramoreboli surprised Saleng didn't play as Pirates are dumped out of Champions League

Jwaneng Galaxy coach Morena Ramoreboli was surprised that Orlando Pirates’ danger man Monnapule Saleng was an unused substitute as the Soweto giants got knocked out of the Caf Champions League.

The South African-born mentor masterminded Pirates’ downfall in the continental showpiece when his unfancied Galaxy beat the Sea Robbers 5-4 on penalty shoot-outs at Orlando Stadium on Friday.

This after the two-legged tie ended in a 1-1 draw as Pirates levelled the matters with their 1-0 victory over Galaxy in Soweto on Friday.

The travellers had also won the first leg on their own turf by the same scoreline a fortnight ago which forced the game to be decided via the shoot-outs.

Creative forward Saleng, who knows how to make Pirates tick, somehow didn’t make it out off the bench.

Ramoreboli had expected the players to be used in the match and strongly believed the last campaign’s DStv Premiership Player’s Player of the season could have created problems for Galaxy.

The coach also thought that maybe the star player was saved by his counterpart Jose Riveiro for the MTN8 final against tough Mamelodi Sundowns at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, October 7.    

“I thought, honestly speaking, Saleng would come on because how they were playing it was more of his game. Utilising that width more and creating those one-vs-one (situations),” Ramoreboli said.

“But maybe for reasons known to the (Pirates) coach because they are playing the final, maybe the coach decided he can’t risk all his players.

“But during the game I thought Saleng would come in because Pirates wanted to stretch us so that they could play into the box.

“I felt that he was going to give us a problem, like it happened when (Karim) Kimvuidi came on because I think they needed someone that can hold more to the ball and Kimvuidi was giving them that.

“I think again it was a matter of trying to control areas. We tried our best to control those areas.”

Ramoreboli has been building a name for himself in Botswana as he won the league title in the country last season and Galaxy will play in the Champions League group stages for the second time under his tutelage.