Themba Zwane cements his place as a key figure in the Mamelodi Sundowns squad. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix.
Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Themba Zwane was the major winner at the 2019/20 PSL Awards on Thursday night, taking home both the PSL Footballer of the Season and Absa Premiership Players’ Player of then Season Awards.
Zwane had his best-ever haul of 11 league goals last season, and was also named Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season, taking his total cash prize for the evening to a cool R500 000 – R250 000 for Footballer of the Season, R200 000 for Player’s Player of the Season, and another R50 000 for Midfielder of the Season.
The 31 year-old was the star man as Sundowns won a domestic treble in the 2019/20 season, taking home the Absa Premiership title, the Telkom Knockout and the Nedbank Cup, in what turned out to be the final season with Pitso Mosimane at the helm.
Mosimane is now with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, but was named Absa Premiership Coach of the Season after guiding Sundowns to a third league title in a row and a fifth in seven seasons.
Bafana Bafana’s current number one goalkeeper, SuperSport United’s Ronwen Williams, was named Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season, while Rushine De Reuck won Absa Premiership Defender of the Season, after a breakout campaign for Maritzburg United.
Sundowns’ Gaston Sirino won Player of the Tournament for the Telkom Knockout, while Bloemfontein Celtic striker Victor Letsoalo won for the Nedbank Cup, even though his side lost 1-0 to Sundowns in the final. Sundowns’ young attacking star Keletso Makgalwa was named the Nedbank Cup’s Most Promising Player.
The city of Tshwane was dominant on the night, as it was with regard to last season’s trophies, with SuperSport striker Bradley Grobler taking home the MTN Last Man Standing, after his goals helped Matsatsatsantsa win the top eight competition in 2019.
Baroka FC’s 20 year old Goodman Mosele won Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season, while Highlands Park’s Peter Shalulile and Orlando Pirates’ Gabadinho Mhango shared the most obvious award of the evening, having finished as joint top scorers in the last ever Absa Premiership with 16 goals.
Kaizer Chiefs, who only missed out on the league title to Sundowns on the final day of the season, did not win a single award, despite having nominees in every one of the Absa Premiership categories, apart from Young Player of the Season.
FULL WINNERS
Footballer of the Season – Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season -Themba Zwane (Mamelodi
Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Coach of the Season – Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season – Goodman Mosele (Baroka FC)
Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season – Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Absa Premiership Defender of the Season -Rushine De Reuck (Maritzburg United)
Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season – Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Goal of the season – Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi
Sundowns vs Cape Town City) – 20 August 2019
Absa Premiership Top Goalscorer:
– Peter Shalulile (Highlands Park)
– Gabadinho Mhango (Orlando Pirates)
MTN8
MTN8 Last Man Standing – Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United)
TELKOM KNOCKOUT
Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament – Gaston Sirino (Mamelodi Sundowns)
NEDBANK CUP
Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player – Keletso Makgalwa (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament – Victor Letsoalo (Bloemfontein Celtic)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee of the Season – Jelly Chavani
Assistant Referee of the Season – Shaun Olive
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