Will it be two out of two for Themba ‘Mshishi’ Zwane?
JOBURG – All eyes are on the #PSLAwards2021 to see who bags the prestigious Footballer of the Season Award.
The million-dollar question around the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) 2020/21 Footballer of the Season is whether Mamelodi Sundowns midfield maestro-cum striker Themba ‘Mshishi’ Zwane will make it two out of two.
Zwane, who is the current award holder after winning it for the 2019/20 season, is one of two other contenders nominated for the prestigious award which also includes his outstanding Namibian teammate, Peter Shalulile, who took his form from his former club, the now-defunct Highlands Park, and applied it well at Masandawana.
The third contender is an outsider from Sundowns but an equally talented individual, Thabiso Kutumela, a forward of the relegation-threatened Maritzburg United, who has been on top of his game and banging those essential goals that might prove to be the safety valve for his struggling side.
But Zwane’s safety net lies in how many sympathetic votes he can garner in his favour from coaches of teams in the DStv Premiership, who get to decide the destiny of the award.
When the season started, Zwane showed signs of a desire to retain his crown as he continued his form of the previous season by rattling the net. But for me, Zwane has not done enough throughout the season to warrant him to retain his crown, and my smart money is on his teammate, Shalulile, to be crowned the king of SA professional football.
Whoever gets to bag the most prestigious award of the premiership will only be known on 6 June at 8pm. The #PLSAwards2021 will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL channel 202 and SABC. All the other categories were voted for by panellists comprising journalists and football commentators.
In the Coach of the Season category, AmaZulu’s astute coach Benni McCarthy is up against Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi and the Mamelodi Sundowns duo of Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena. In the MTN8, the Orlando Pirates pair of Deon Hotto and Ben Motshwari together with Bloemfontein Celtic striker Victor Letsoalo are in line to win the MTN8 Last Man Standing.
For the Nedbank Cup categories, Maloisane Mokhele (Chippa United), Khanyisa Mayo (Richards Bay FC) and Njabulo Blom (Kaizer Chiefs) have been nominated for the Nedbank Cup’s Most Promising Player of the Tournament while Washington Arubi, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo (both Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila) and Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns) will be vying for the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament prize.
The full list of nominees:
Footballers of the Season hopefuls are Thabiso Kutumela of Maritzburg United; Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns and his teammate Themba Zwane. Player’s Player of the Season nominees are Thabiso Kutumela of Maritzburg United; and Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns; and his teammate Themba Zwane.
In the Coach of the Season category nominees are Benni McCarthy of AmaZulu; Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena of Mamelodi Sundowns; and Mandla Ncikazi of Lamontville Golden Arrows.
The Young Player of the Season U21 nominees are Bongokuhle Hlongwane of Maritzburg United; Kamogelo Mahlangu of TS Galaxy; and Evidence Makgopa of Baroka FC while Goalkeeper of the Season nominees are Sifiso Mlungwana of Lamontville Golden Arrows; Veli Mothwa of AmaZulu; and Denis Onyango of Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Defender of the Season nominees are Mosa Lebusa of Mamelodi Sundowns; Njabulo Ngcobo of league newcomers Swallows; and Tapelo Xoki of AmaZulu while the Midfielder of the Season nominees are Rivaldo Coetzee of Mamelodi Sundowns; Makhehleni Makhaula of AmaZulu; and Themba Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns.
MTN8’s Last Man Standing nominees are Deon Hotto of Orlando Pirates; Victor Letsoalo of Bloemfontein Celtic; and Ben Motshwari of Orlando Pirates while the Nedbank Cup’s Most Promising Player U23 nominees are Njabulo Blom of Kaizer Chiefs; Khanyisa Mayo of Richards Bay; and Maloisane Mokhele of Chippa United.
Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament nominees are Washington Arubi and teammate Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila; and Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns.
The DStv Diski Challenge Rewired Player of the Tournament nominees are Lindokuhle Zungu of AmaZulu; Siyanda Nyanga of Mamelodi Sundowns; and Boitumelo Radiopane of Orlando Pirates.
