Mamelodi Sundowns duo Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane as well as Orlando Pirates’ Thembinkosi Lorch dominate the nominees list for the Premier Soccer League Awards that was announced on Monday.
The trio will be up against each other in three categories, including the ultimate prize of 2018/19 PSL Footballer of the Season when the awards function is held at the ICC in Durban on Sunday.
At the same venue this morning, one of the coaches present, Steve Komphela threw the names of league top-scorer Mwape Musonda and Brazilians’ attacker Gaston Sirino into the list of his pick for best players this season.
Komphela of Lamontville Golden Arrows is amongst the 16 coaches in the Absa Premiership who exclusively vote for the Footballer of the Season Award.
The headline trio were also named by the peers as the top three in the Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season category, while judges also voted for them in the Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season category. Komphela says that whoever wins on Sunday will leave two disappointed colleagues by the wayside.
Two-time Footballer of the Year Siyabonga Nomvethe was also present at the Nominee unveiling and he felt that Lorch was the most deserving of the award.
The veteran strike, who hung up his boots at the age of 41 at the weekend, is the only man to have won the Footballer of the Year award twice.
He says separating the three will be tough come Sunday.
Other notable nominees were in the Coach of the Season category where Cape Town City’s Benni McCarthy joins last season’s two nominees, Milutin Sredojevic of Pirates and Sundowns’ Pitso Mosimane.
#PSLAwards19 Nominees Announcement https://t.co/MDmsscPsGG
— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) May 13, 2019
In the Absa Premiership Young Player category, SuperSport United’s Teboho Mokoena has been nominated together with City’s Gift Links and Bongani Sam of Bloemfontein Celtic. – Report by Thahir Asmal
