PSL awards show only Shalulile has been consistent
Zwane pipped to best midfielder gong by Downs teammate Jali
With Mamelodi Sundowns star Peter Shalulile the only previous season winner who managed to be on the podium again at this term's PSL awards, where he defended his Footballer of the Season and Players' Player gongs, we look at what happened to the past campaign's big winners this time around.
Coach of the Season
Having won it controversially ahead of Sundowns league-winning co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena last season, Benni McCarthy found himself job-less by the time of the 2021/22 awards.
McCarthy was fired by AmaZulu in March after managing just five league wins from 23 outings, where he disappointingly drew 14 times and suffered four defeats. Mngqithi and Mokwena clinched it.
Goalkeeper of the Season
Sundowns' Denis Onyango scooped this gong last season, thanks to his 15 clean sheets from 25 league games. This time around the Ugandan wasn't even nominated as he struggled with injuries and form for the better part of the term, where he uncharacteristically leaked 11 goals from 16 league games with only six clean slates.
Cape Town City's Hugo Marques won the gong ahead of Veli Mothwa of AmaZulu and Toaster Nsabata of Sekhukhune. Marques managed 15 clean sheets from 28 league games.
Defender of the Season
Kaizer Chiefs centre-back Njabulo Ngcobo clinched this gong the previous campaign when he was still at Swallows. At Chiefs he endured a frustrating start to life as then coach Stuart Baxter mainly used him as a holding midfielder.
All in all, Ngcobo played only 14 league games for Chiefs this season. Lyle Lakay of Sundowns walked away with this award. Lakay had a blinder of a term with nine assists and four goals in as many game across all competitions.
Midfielder of the Season
Despite being nominated, Themba Zwane couldn't retain this award as his Sundowns teammate Andile Jali pipped him to it. Five goals and seven assists from 25 league matches is what Zwane managed, meaning he was as effective but it just that Jali was more instrumental.
Golden Boot
SuperSport United talisman Bradley Grobler, the 2020/21 season's top-scorer with 16 goals, saw his season being ravaged by a long-term injury.
Grobler was ruled out for the rest of the season as early as February, having had scored once from nine DStv Premiership games. Shalulile's 24 goals meant he inherits this accolade from Grobler this season.