Williams, Tito bag big PSL awards

Orlando Pirates may have finished second in the DStv Premiership standings but were the biggest winners at the PSL awards, held virtually last night, as they bagged eight honours.

While champions Mamelodi Sundowns scooped the biggest of all – Ronwen Williams claiming the Footballer of the Year accolade – Pirates’ Patrick “Tito” Maswanganyi returned with three trophies in Players’ Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year and Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament.

Pirates sensation Relebohile Mofokeng added to the club’s haul with two awards – the Premiership Young Player of the Year and Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player. The Buccaneers also had three other individual honours as Thabiso Lebitso claimed goal of the year, Sipho Chaine the MTN8 last man standing, while Tshegofatso Mabasa had long been confirmed as Premiership top scorer for his 16 goals in the campaign.

It was a good return for a Pirates side who won two trophies – the Nedbank Cup and the MTN8 – but there can be no dispute regarding Sundowns’ Williams claiming the coveted Footballer of the Year after his side won the league title for a seventh-year running.

Williams, who was also named Goalkeeper of the Year, became the first keeper since Kaizer Chiefs’ Itumeleng Khune in 2013 to be voted Footballer of the Year by PSL coaches. The award comes with a R250,000 cash prize. Bafana skipper Williams is only the third keeper in PSL history to win the award, following Andre Arendse at Santos (2001/02) and Khune.

There were two more awards for Sundowns – with Rulani Mokwena named Coach of the Year, and Grant Kekana walking away with the Defender of the Year accolade to bring the club’s total haul to four.

Select award winners

Footballer of the Year: Ronwen Williams

Players’ Player of the Year: Patrick Maswanganyi

Coach of the Year: Rulani Mokwena

Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams

Defender of the Year: Grant Kekana

Midfielder of the Year: Patrick Maswanganyi

Young Player of the Year: Relebohile Mofokeng

Nedbank Cup most promising player: Relebohile Mofokeng

Player of the tournament: Patrick Maswanganyi

MTN8 Last man standing: Sipho Chaine

Goal of the Year: Thabiso Lebitso

NFD Top scorer: Prince Nxumalo (JRD Stars)

Referee of the Year: Sikhumbuzo Gasa

Assistant referee of the Year: Romario Phiri