Johannesburg - Teboho Mokoena was crowned the best player among his peers at the PSL Awards on Sunday – thanks to the stellar season he had with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns became Premiership champions for a record sixth season in a row, as all the players who contributed to their success received praise. Mokoena was part and parcel of that lot, making 24 appearances in the league, while he registered one goal and one assist.
Mokoena was key, as he made some crucial passes and tackles in midfield – proving to be a fitting replacement for former club captain Andile Jali. But was he a more deserving winner for the footballer of the season instead of Monnapule Saleng and teammate Ronwen Williams?
Well, that can be argued. Saleng proved the doubters wrong this past season – including the media - who didn’t feel he was deserving of a chance to be playinf for Orlando Pirates after having spent the previous season on loan at Swallows FC. But thanks to the astute leadership of coach Jose Riveiro – who despite his efforts duly lost out on the coach of the season award to Rulani Mokwena – Saleng soared at Pirates.
Not only was he part and parcel of the starting line-ups but he made his presence count, registering 11 league goals and eight assists as the Bucs finished second on the standings. Granted, he didn’t finish as the highest goal scorer, trailing joint leading goal scorers Khanyisa Mayo and Peter Shalulile by a goal, he did enough to get his counterparts’ votes.
Saleng was crowned as the Players’ Player of the Season, earning the most votes from the oppositions’ captains.
The 25-year-old was in the running for the award, which he won, alongside Williams and Themba Zwane, the Sundowns captain who won a record seventh league title.
Williams also had an impressive season and duly won the Goalkeeper of the Season award, as he registered 18 clean-sheets in the league.
His former coach Gavin Hunt was against him winning the Footballer of the Season award, insisting that a player of his position at a star-studded Sundowns hadn’t done enough to deserve the gong.
And while his award was made for his heroics in goals, credit should also go to his attacking department, including strikers such as Cassius Mailula, who bagged the Premiership Young Player of the Season award.
The league season might have belonged to Sundowns, but the domestic season belonged to Pirates – Riveiro did more than enough to ensure his detractors ate humble pie after being called a “plumber”.
Saleng also walked away with the MTN8 Last Man Standing award.
It was deserving recognition given that he was crucial in both the semi-final and final, after scoring three goals and registering one assists from the two matches. Saleng’s teammate Miguel Timm, however, will feel hard done by after for being overlooked for the Nedbank Cup Player of the tournament award ahead of Stellenbosch FC’s goal poacher Iqraam Rayners.
The Pirates midfielder was crucial in their surge to Cup success, just like Mokwena. But the selectors of the competition thought otherwise.
@MihlaliBaleka