Supersport men win top PSL awards
Two players who failed to make it into Bafana Bafana's provisional World Cup squad got some much-deserved recognition from the Premier Soccer League last night.
Photograph by: Galllo Images
Credit: Duif du Toit
Supersport United's Morgan Gould and Daine Klate were the big winners at the PSL awards for helping their team win a third successive league title.
Gould, a defender, took the PSL player of the year award, and midfielder Klate walked away with the PSL player of the season award. Though many believe these two accolades are equivalent, there is a huge difference in monetary value - Gould got R250000 and Klate R150000.
Gould beat off stiff competition from the Mamelodi Sundowns pair of Katlego Mphela and Elias Pelembe. Klate came up tops ahead of Gould and Mphela once again.
The two players had appeared to be an integral part of Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's team in the lead up to the Brazilian naming his provisional squad for the World Cup.
But Gould was ruled out because of injury and Klate just did not make the cut.
Mphela, with 17 goals, added players' player of the season to the top-scorer award.
He will be hoping to continue his form in the World Cup next month when Bafana face Mexico in the opening match at Soccer City on June 11.
Mphela received R150000 for his players' player award and R50000 for the PSL top-scorer accolade.
Bafana and Orlando Pirates' Moeneeb Josephs was voted the goalkeeper of the season.
Other awards
Gavin Hunt (Supersport United) - coach of the season, Siyanda Xulu (Sundowns) - best young player of the season, Rudolf Bester (Maritzburg United) - best goal of the season, Arthur Bartman (Kaizer Chiefs) - Telkom Knockout player of the tournament, Njabulo Manqana (Golden Arrows) - MTN8 player of the tournament, Matthew Pattison (Sundowns) - Nedbank Cup player of the tournament, and Patrick Pungwayo (Wits) - Nedbank Cup most promising player of the tournament.
Source - Times.co.za
