Goal takes you through everything you need to know about the event when the league’s best player for this season will be announced
The 2020/21 Premier Soccer League awards ceremony is edging closer as anticipation has already gripped fans who are eager to know who will be crowned as the season’s biggest achievers.
Three nominees per category were revealed on Wednesday by the league and Mamelodi Sundowns dominate, while Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates struggled to provide players on the list of nominees.
When are the 2020/21 PSL Awards?
The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday June 6, 2021 at 20:00 South African time.
Editors’ Picks
It comes a day after the conclusion of the current PSL campaign which is now coming close to conclusion.
How to watch the event
The PSL Awards night will be broadcast live on SuperSport’s PSL Channel (202) and SABC.
Online, the event will be streamed live and subscribers can access it on DStv.com/DStv Now App.
Categories and Nominees
PSL Footballer of the Season
This biggest award of the night. Mamelodi Sundowns attacker and reigning Footballer of the Year Themba Zwane is part of the nominees and in line to defend the prestigious gong.
He will come up against his Sundowns teammate Peter Shalulile and Maritzburg United captain and forward Thabiso Kutumela, who has 12 league goals in 26 appearances.
Players’ Player of the Season
The same line-up for the Footballer of the Year features in this category.
Zwane is again a holder of this award and it is yet to be seen if he will reclaim it.
Coach of the Season
Sundowns feature in this category with their co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena the nominees.
Benni McCarthy, who is credited for transforming AmaZulu into a title-chasing outfit, is also on this list.
Golden Arrows who, like AmaZulu, appeared as surprise title contenders, have provided their tactician Mandla Ncikazi for this award which went to record six-time holder Pitso Mosimane last season.
Midfielder of the Season
The Brazilians again dominate in this category which features two of their players – Zwane and Rivaldo Coetzee.
AmaZulu’s Makhehlene Makhaula, who transformed himself from being a bit-part player at Highlands Park last season, will contend with the Masandawana pair for this recognition.
Zwane is the reigning Midfielder of the Season.
Defender of the Season
Playing his maiden PSL season, Swallows’ Njabulo Ngcobo immediately made an impact and is in the running for this gong after 26 league starts as he missed just one match for the Dube Birds.
AmaZulu centre-back Tapelo Xoki is also a nominee with the scoring defender boasting of four league goals this term.
Mosa Lebusa of Sundowns completes the line-up in the category and could succeed his teammate Rushine De Reuck, who won it last season while at Maritzburg United.
Goalkeeper of the Season
AmaZulu’s Veli Mothwa has been recognised after a season in which he broke into the Bafana Bafana fold.
He will battle it out against Masandawana veteran keeper Denis Onyango, who won this award for the 2015/16 season.
Sifiso Mlungwana, who has featured in all Golden Arrows’ 28 PSL matches, also features on this list.
Young Player of the Season
Maritzburg United striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane has flourished under Ernest Middendorp and is up for this honour, together with another 20-year-old striker Evidence Makgopa, who has grabbed seven goals for Baroka FC this season.
Also appearing is TS Galaxy defender Kamogelo, who at 19 is the youngest in this category.
Diski Challenge Player of the Tournament
Top performers from the reserve league will also be recognised on June 6.
Orlando Pirates’ Boitumelo Radiopane is in line for this award which also have AmaZulu striker Lindokuhle Zungu and Siyanda Nyanga of Sundowns in the running.
Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament
After an impressive run in the Nedbank Cup which ended with being crowned champions, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila have provided two players in this category.
Goalkeeper Washington Arubi has been nominated after his penalty shootout heroics against Swallows FC and Mamelodi Sundowns in the Round of 16 and semi-finals, respectively, were key to TTM reaching the final.
Midfielder Ndabayithehwa Ndlondlo, whose goal had the final say in the final against Chippa United, has also been considered.
Sundowns’ Shalulile, who was the tournament’s joint top-scorer with Pretoria Callies’ Pogiso Mahlangu, who also had four goals is on the list. Shaluliule makes his case strong with four assists.
Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player of the Tournament
Kaizer Chiefs’ Njabulo Blom is a surprise inclusion in this category despite playing just 44 minutes in this tournament which has six rounds of matches including the preliminaries.
Former South Africa Under-17 star Khanyisa Mayo of Richards Bay has also been considered together with 24-year-old Maloisane Mokhele, who helped Chippa reach the final.
MTN8 Last Man Standing
The Orlando Pirates midfield duo Ben Motshwari and Deon Hotto come upo against each other after they helped the Buccareens to the MTN8 crown.
Victor Letsoalo of Bleomfontein Celtic has also been nominated.
2020/21 PSL Awards voting criteria
According to the PSL, top-flight league coaches vote for the Footballer of the Season and no coach is allowed to select a player from his team.
The Players’ Player of the Season is voted for by the players themselves but they are not permitted to pick their teammates.
The remaining categories are selected by a panel consisting of journalists, football commentators and analysts.