Downs' Ribeiro crowned PSL king

After an impressive season in which he finished as the PSL’s top scorer, Mamelodi Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro Costa unsurprisingly won the biggest awards at the league’s annual ceremony, held virtually on Tuesday night.

Ribeiro was named Footballer of the Year, which is voted for by 16 PSL coaches. His colleagues also chose him as Players’ Player of the Year, and the Brazilian landed another award with the goal he scored against Orlando Pirates last year – a solo run from his own half – chosen as the best.

He pipped Relebohile Mofokeng for the top award, but the Orlando Pirates’ youngster did not walk away empty-handed as he was, for the second year running, named Betway Premiership Young Player of the Season. His performance in the MTN8, which Pirates retained for a third consecutive season, earned him the Player of the Tournament award.

While Ribeiro monopolised the key individual awards, Pirates swept most categories, starting with Sipho Chaine being named Goalkeeper of the Year ahead of Ronwen Williams of Mamelodi Sundowns and Magesi goalminder Elvis Chipezeze. Chaine’s teammate Nkosinathi Sibisi became Defender of the Season, while Makhehleni Makhaula, also of Pirates, was Midfielder of the Year.

Chipezeze, who famously claimed a whopping R400,000 when he was voted Man of the Match four times when Magesi won the Carling Knockout, was unsurprisingly the best player for that tournament. Kaizer Chiefs may have had a lacklustre season, saved only by a heroic Nedbank Cup victory over Pirates, and that helped Amakhosi’s Pule Mmodi to become the best player in that tournament. Pirates’ Mbekezeli Mbokazi was named Ke Yona’s Most Promising Player.

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was crowned Betway Premiership Coach of the Season despite joining when they had already played seven matches.

In a first, there were individual awards for the Motsepe Foundation Championship, with Muzomuhle Khanyi of Hungry Lions named Players’ Player of the Season and the Top Goal-scorer. Teboho Lekhatla of Casric Stars was named the Young Player of the Season, while Dumsani Msibi of Durban City was recognised as the division’s Goalkeeper of the Season.

Selected PSL award winners

Footballer of the Year: Lucas Ribeiro Costa (Sundowns)

Players’ Player of the Year: Lucas Ribeiro Costa

Coach of the Year: Miguel Cardoso (Sundowns)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates

Defender of the Year: Nkosinathi Sibisi (Pirates)

Midfielder of the Year: Makhehleni Makhaula (Pirates)

Young player of the Year: Relebohile Mofokeng (Pirates)

Goal of the Season: Lucas Ribeiro Costa

MTN8 Last Man Standing: Relebohile Mofokeng

Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament: Pule Mmodi (Kaizer Chiefs)

Carling Cup Player of the Tournament: Elvis Chipezeze (Magesi)

Chairman’s Award: Sundowns (for performance at the Fifa Club World Cup)

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