Hunt, Josephs wrap up Absa Premiership monthly awards
JOBURG – Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt and his goalminder, Moneeb Josephs scoop Absa Premiership monthly awards for April.
Gavin Hunt and Moeneeb Josephs continued their celebrations of winning the 2016/17 Absa Premiership title by clinching the final Absa Premiership Coach and Player of the Month awards for May.
The Bidvest Wits coach and goalkeeper were honoured at the monthly media event hosted at the Premier Soccer League offices in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Four key victories over Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, Maritzburg United and Polokwane City in May ensured the Clever Boys won their first league title since the inception of the club in 1921.
Read: PSL congratulates Absa Premiership champs, Bidvest Wits
The judging panel made up of football broadcasters and analysts, and past players, praised Hunt for coaching his team to play direct, winning football.
The judges also noted how the four-time league winning coach was able to get his side to grind out results against very difficult opposition during a critical point in their title chase.
Platinum Stars coach Cavin Johnson, Clinton Larsen of Golden Arrows and Maritzburg United’s Fadlu Davids, the April Coach of the Month recipient, received a special mention from the judges for their efforts during the month of May.
Josephs, a two-time league winner during his days at Orlando Pirates, became the second goalkeeper to clinch the individual player award in the 2016/17 season after Dennis Onyango of Mamelodi Sundowns won the award for April.
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The Cape Town-born Josephs pipped other strong candidates such as teammates Thulani Hlatshwayo and Thabang Monare, Mamelodi Sundowns striker Yannick Zakri and Kurt Lentjies of Maritzburg United, to the award.
The three-time Absa Premiership winning goalkeeper was praised for the calmness and stability he brought to the Wits’ defence during a tough period of the season.
During the four matches he played in May, ‘Slimkat’ went 270 minutes unbeaten, meaning he kept three clean sheets in three consecutive matches, as Wits collected nine points in the process to go on top of the Absa Premiership log standings.
