Bradley Ralani of Orbit College FC during the Betway Premiership match against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane on Monday. Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye has revealed how the sudden sale of Monnapule Saleng to Mamelodi Sundowns triggered the club’s decision to bring veteran winger Bradley Ralani out of retirement. Speaking at a press conference on Monday following Orbit’s 2–0 Betway Premiership defeat to Sundowns, Makhoye admitted the move came as a shock and left his technical team scrambling for solutions.
“Saleng (transfer) caught us by surprise, we really didn’t expect it, and now we see he’s been sold to Mamelodi Sundowns and we’ve been planning with him all along,” said Makhoye. Saleng had been central to Orbit’s attacking blueprint this season, with much of their structure designed to maximise his pace, direct running and creativity in wide areas. His abrupt departure, the coach explained, was immediately felt on the pitch.
“You could even see today (Monday) that we struggled without him because our gameplan was mainly around Saleng,” he added. With little time to reshape their tactical identity mid-season, Orbit opted for an unconventional but calculated solution. Ralani, now 38, had officially retired from professional football in November 2025, with Cape Town City confirming his decision.
