Pirates’ Maswanganyi misses out on Footballer of the Season

Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi was not among the nominees for the prestigious PSL Footballer of the Season Award, even though he was selected in as many categories as anyone else when the nominees for the Premier Soccer League Awards were announced on Friday.

Maswanganyi was nominated in four categories, the MTN8 Last Man Standing, the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament, the DStv Premiership Midfielder of the Season and the DStv Premiership Players’ Player of the Season.

For the Footballer of the Season, however, the nominations are Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena and Stellenboch striker Iqraam Rayners.

Rayners is nominated in four categories – for Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament, Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament and DStv Premiership Players’ Player of the Season. He is also just one goal behind Tshegofatso Mabasa in the race for the DStv Premiership Golden Boot.

Williams, meanwhile, is nominated in three categories – Goalkeeper of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and Footballer of the Season.

Mokoena, however, is nominated for Footballer of the Season, despite not being nominated in any other category. The midfielder did have a fantastic season with Sundowns, but it is a little strange that the 27 year-old is up for the award he won last year, without a single nomination in any other category. The voting for the Footballer of the Season, however, is done by the PSL coaches, which is a different voting system from any other category.

Six Pirates players nominated

Pirates did have more nominations than anyone else, with six of their players nominated as well as head coach Jose Riveiro, who is up for the Coach of the Season Award, alongside clear favourite Rulani Mokwena and Stellenbosch’s Steve Barker.

Sipho Chaine and Zakhele Lepasa were nominated alongside Maswanganyi for the MTN8 Last Man Standing Award, while Thapelo Xoki was nominated with Sundowns’ Grant Kekana and Stellies’ Deano Van Rooyen for the Defender of the Season Award.

Tshegofatso Mabasa joins Maswanganyi and Rayners as a nominee for the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament Award, while Relebohile Mofokeng is the clear favourite for the Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player Award and the Young Player of the Season Award.

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