Orlando Pirates fans had something to celebrate after Thembinkosi Lorch walked away with the PSL Footballer of the Season and Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season gongs at the traditional end of the season Premier Soccer League awards in Durban on Sunday night.
The accolades will have helped soothe the disappointment of coming close to winning the league title only to see it snatched away by Mamelodi Sundowns on the final day of the season a few days ago.
It was one of the closest league title races in years and even though the Bucs finished runners-up to coach Pitso Mosimane's swashbuckling Brazilians, Lorch’s contribution to the Pirates cause was enough to see him pip Sundowns rivals Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane to the Footballer of Season award.
The Footballer of the Season accolade is voted exclusively by the 16 coaches in the Absa Premiership while the Player’s Player is voted by players (players are not allowed to vote for their teammates).
Lorch, Kekana and Zwane also squared off in the Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season and Midfielder of the season categories.
While Lorch won the two above awards, Kekana took home the Midfielder of the season accolade.
There were no surprises when the Absa premiership coach of the season award went to irrepressible Sundowns mentor Mosimane.
Mosimane won the award for the second year in a row after leading the Brazilians to a successive Absa Premiership title.
Vincent Pule’s goal against Polokwane City on the last day of the season was voted by the public as the Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season.
Cape Town City keeper Peter Leeuwenburgh was voted as the MTN8 Last Man Stadium.
On a good night for the goalkeepers, Baroka keeper Elvis Chipezeze took home the Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament.
In the Nedbank Cup, champions TS Galaxy were the big winners in both categories.
A day after putting Kaizer Chiefs to the sword and scoring the winning goal in the Nedbank Cup final, Zakhele Lepasa deservedly walked away with Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament.
His teammate Terrence Mashego won Nedbank Cup's Most Promising Player of the Tournament.
SuperSport United’s Teboho Mokoena won the Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season award.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Footballer of the Season:
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season:
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
Absa Premiership Coach of the Season:
Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season:
Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport United)
Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season:
Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Absa Premiership Defender of the Season:
Ricardo Nascimento (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season:
Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season:
Vincent Pule (Orlando Pirates)
MTN8: MTN8 Last Man Standing:
Peter Leeuwenburgh (Cape Town City)
TELKOM KNOCKOUT:
Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament
Elvis Chipezeze (Baroka FC)
NEDBANK CUP
Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player:
Terrence Mashego (TS Galaxy)
Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament:
Zakhele Lepasa (TS Galaxy)
MULTICHOICE DISKI
MultiChoice Diski Challenge Most Precious Find:
Sipho Chaine (Bloemfontein Celtic)
MultiChoice Diski Shield Player of the Tournament:
Siboniso Conco (Lamontville Golden Arrows)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee of the Season:
Abongile Tom
Assistant Referee of the Season:
Emmanuel De Sani
Thembinkosi Lorch wins big at PSL awards
Orlando Pirates fans had something to celebrate after Thembinkosi Lorch walked away with the PSL Footballer of the Season and Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season gongs at the traditional end of the season Premier Soccer League awards in Durban on Sunday night.
The accolades will have helped soothe the disappointment of coming close to winning the league title only to see it snatched away by Mamelodi Sundowns on the final day of the season a few days ago.
It was one of the closest league title races in years and even though the Bucs finished runners-up to coach Pitso Mosimane's swashbuckling Brazilians, Lorch’s contribution to the Pirates cause was enough to see him pip Sundowns rivals Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane to the Footballer of Season award.
The Footballer of the Season accolade is voted exclusively by the 16 coaches in the Absa Premiership while the Player’s Player is voted by players (players are not allowed to vote for their teammates).
Lorch, Kekana and Zwane also squared off in the Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season and Midfielder of the season categories.
While Lorch won the two above awards, Kekana took home the Midfielder of the season accolade.
There were no surprises when the Absa premiership coach of the season award went to irrepressible Sundowns mentor Mosimane.
Mosimane won the award for the second year in a row after leading the Brazilians to a successive Absa Premiership title.
Vincent Pule’s goal against Polokwane City on the last day of the season was voted by the public as the Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season.
Cape Town City keeper Peter Leeuwenburgh was voted as the MTN8 Last Man Stadium.
On a good night for the goalkeepers, Baroka keeper Elvis Chipezeze took home the Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament.
In the Nedbank Cup, champions TS Galaxy were the big winners in both categories.
A day after putting Kaizer Chiefs to the sword and scoring the winning goal in the Nedbank Cup final, Zakhele Lepasa deservedly walked away with Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament.
His teammate Terrence Mashego won Nedbank Cup's Most Promising Player of the Tournament.
SuperSport United’s Teboho Mokoena won the Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season award.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Footballer of the Season:
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season:
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
Absa Premiership Coach of the Season:
Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Young Player of the Season:
Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport United)
Absa Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season:
Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Absa Premiership Defender of the Season:
Ricardo Nascimento (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa Premiership Midfielder of the Season:
Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season:
Vincent Pule (Orlando Pirates)
MTN8: MTN8 Last Man Standing:
Peter Leeuwenburgh (Cape Town City)
TELKOM KNOCKOUT:
Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament
Elvis Chipezeze (Baroka FC)
NEDBANK CUP
Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player:
Terrence Mashego (TS Galaxy)
Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament:
Zakhele Lepasa (TS Galaxy)
MULTICHOICE DISKI
MultiChoice Diski Challenge Most Precious Find:
Sipho Chaine (Bloemfontein Celtic)
MultiChoice Diski Shield Player of the Tournament:
Siboniso Conco (Lamontville Golden Arrows)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee of the Season:
Abongile Tom
Assistant Referee of the Season:
Emmanuel De Sani