It does not occur often that a single player dominates the most dreamt about honours in domestic football. Pulling strings in the middle, thus creating and scoring critical goals, Themba Zwane helped Mamelodi Sundowns to a 3-cup victory season in a dramatic yet exhilarating fashion.
Thursday | October 23, 2020
Themba “Mshishi” Zwane was the overwhelming winner of the most coveted Premier Soccer League (PSL) awards for the 2019/20 season last night.
He walked away with three prestigious accolades accorded to an outstanding football individual in PSL. In a virtual award ceremony held by the South African professional football operator, the PSL, Zwane unanimously secured the following Absa Premiership League honours:
- “Player of the Season”,
- “Player’s Player of the Season” and
- “Midfielder of the Season”.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Mshishi was excellent throughout the entire 2019/20 season in particular even though it was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic breakout. For all his efforts, he banked a cool windfall of R500, 000 Thursday night of Oct. 22. Sundowns quoted Zwane a day before the big winning night, Zwane said:
“It was a great season, working with these talented guys at the club, as they pushed me to play my best and everyone on the team was working hard. We as a team are in a great environment, we want to push and win trophies, as that is what our club is about”.
More Absa Premiership honours
The coach of the year went to former Mamelodi Sundowns Head coach Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane who joined Al Ahly Sporting Club of Egypt last month. Jingles pipped Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp and Eric Tinkler, the Maritzburg United coach, to the post.
Furthermore, Mosimane was accorded the annual “Chairman’s Award” bestowed to an influential and main contributer to football along with Stanley Matthews and Alvin Naicker.
SuperSport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams snatched the shot-stopper of the season away from Dennis Onyango of Sundowns and Daniel Akpeyi of Chiefs.
Hlompho Kekana, the Sundowns captain, thunderous strike win him goal of the season. As far as officiating goes, Jelly Chavani bagged the referee of the season and Shaun Olive got the nod for assistant referee of the Season.
While the Absa Premiership top goal-scorer award was shared by Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates and Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park (now with Sundowns), the defender of the season went to Maritzburg United’s Rushine De Reuck.