Sundowns, Chiefs dominate as PSL announce 2019/20 award nominees

Treble-winning Mamelodi Sundowns had the most nominations as the Premier Soccer League on Thursday released all the candidates for the 2019/20 PSL awards.

The awards, like everything else on the domestic football scene, had to be delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2020/21 season is already getting underway this weekend, with the MTN8 quarterfinals.

The official awards ceremony will take place virtually on October 22.

Masandawana, who won the 2019/20 Absa Premiership, Telkom Knockout and Nedbank Cup, had nominees in most of the categories released by the PSL, including the top award, the PSL Footballer of the Season.

Sundowns attacking star Themba Zwane was nominated three times, for Footballer of the Season, Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season and Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season. Another Sundowns attacker, who scored the vital winning goal in the title race against Kaizer Chiefs, Gaston Sirino, was also nominated for Footballer of the Season, as well as Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament.

The other nominees for Footballer of the Season were striker Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park and striker Samir Nurkovic of Kaizer Chiefs.

Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha also got two nominations, for Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament and Absa Premiership Defender of the Season, as did Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana, who was nominated for Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament and Absa Premiership Players’ Player of the Season, despite not being picked in the Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season category.

Kaizer Chiefs, who ran Sundowns close for the Absa Premiership title, also had their share of nominees in the main categories, with Lebo Manyama nominated for Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season and Absa Premiership Players’ Player of the Season, but not for Footballer of the Season. Nurkovic was nominated for that, while Daniel Akpeyi was nominated for Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season and Daniel Cardoso is among the candidates for Absa Premiership Defender of the Season..

Ernst Middendorp and Pitso Mosimane, meanwhile, are both now coaching elsewhere on the continent but both are in the running for Absa Premiership Coach of the Season, alongside Maritzburg United’s Eric Tinkler.

THE NOMINATIONS

PSL Footballer of the Season

Themba Zwane, Peter Shalulile, Samir Nurkovic Gaston Sirino

Absa Premiership Coach of the Season

Eric Tinkler, Ernst Middendorp, Pitso Mosimane

Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season

Themba Zwane, Lebogang Manyama, Hlompho Kekana

Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season

Daniel Akpeyi, Denis Onyango, Ronwen Williams

Absa Premiership Defender of the Season

Motjeka Madisha, Daniel Cardoso, Rushine De Reuck

Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season

Themba Zwane, Thabo Nodada, Lebogang Manyama

Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season

Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Goodman Mosele, Sphesihle Maduna

Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player

Keletso Makgalwa, Sifiso Ngobeni, Evidence Magkopa

Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament

Terrence Dzvukumanja, Motjeka Madisha, Victor Letsoalo

Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament

Gaston Sirino, Judas Moseamedi, Hlompho Kekana

MTN8 Last Man Standing

Ronwen Williams, Bradley Grobler, Clayton Daniels

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