Players honoured once trophies were sorted
● There might have been no sight of Ventersdorp’s most famous soccer son and a mix-up when handing out the gongs, but that didn’t deter soccer’s top dogs at their annual knees-up.
The Premier Soccer League awards were held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday evening and the first person I meet is Tokyo Sexwale, who is standing with a gorgeous brunette who could be his niece.
“My fiancée,” explains the former Gauteng premier as he introduces to me Nataxa da Silva, who is more than 30 years his junior and with whom he has a two-year-old son.
When is the big day, I ask, to which Tokyo smiles and says “Don’t worry, we will give the Sunday Times the exclusive . . .” before walking off.
Up the stairs and past the red carpet I introduce myself to Maritzburg United’s Bevan Fransman, nominated as defender of the season. He confirms he’ll be leaving the club and will find out in the next week or so where he will hang his soccer boots next.
Then it’s a quick hello to Siyanda Xulu, who is nominated in the same category but unlike Bevan is staying put at the Team of Choice, and PSL marketing man Peter Mancer, whose leggy partner, Claudia Mendez, is eye-popping in a dress by Kurt van der Muller.
Inside the hall, before the awards kick off, I sit down to a starter of seared chicken breast filled with feta and basil pesto.
Soccer followers would have had plenty to say about the awards, but they were shown live on the box so I won’t bore you with my opinion. But it was cringeworthy when Golden Arrows’ Siphelele Magubane was given a trophy clearly stating “Coach of the Season” when he got the nod for his goal against Polokwane City. Ouch!
I was also scratching my head about why the show needed four hosts: I’d have kept Vaylen Kirtley and Robert Marawa as MCs and ditched squeaky-voiced Thomas Mlambo and Carol Tshabalala. Carol’s weave, which Twitter said looked a tad tired, would have been thankful for the day off.
Back to the winners, and Itumeleng
Khune won goalkeeper of the year but couldn’t make it as he was recuperating from a stomach ailment, while Siyanda beat Bevan to take home that defender trophy.
Coach of the year was a deserved win for Mamelodi Sundowns’ Pitso Mosimane (after getting the gong back from Siphelele), Siphesihle Ndlovu was named young player and midfielder of the season, while the nicest man in the league, Percy Tau (who arrived with his whole family including mom and sisters) took home footballer and player’s player of the season, with R450 000 in prize money.
The main course of grilled rack of lamb with char-grilled chicken fillet and paté was a little tough, but the lemon and lime tart scored a goal for the right combo of sweet and tart.
Carol’s weave, which Twitter said looked tired, would have been thankful for the day off