Pick your man and win airtime
It’s time for Phakaaathi’s Player-of-the-Month competition again, as we pick our four stars of the South African game who have excelled on the field of play in the month of April. It has been an action-packed month, from the chase for the Absa Premiership title, to the battle against relegation, to the Nedbank Cup semifinals. Pick your favourite from these four by following the rules in the competition at the bottom of the page and you could win R350 in airtime. Good luck!
Innocent Maela
Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Maela has been one of the stars in the Bucs back four, where the club has managed to be more solid this season than the previous campaign. The 25-year old left-back has made 23 starts in the club since his return from loan at Thanda Royal Zulu FC at the start of the season. His rise in the black and white colours of the Soweto giants has even seen him being called up to Bafana Bafana by coach Stuart Baxter for the Four Nations tournament in Zambia which they eventually won. The left-back likes to go forward and plays decent crosses for Bucs forwards and his style of play has seen him contribute to four assists in Pirates’ 39 goals so far this season. He continued to contribute brilliantly in the Bucs backline in April, when they only conceded three goals in five matches. Maela makes the list of Phakaaathi’s Player-of-the-Month for his consistency and solid performances.
KEYWORD: MAELA
Percy Tau
Pitso Mosimane has has rotated his players at times at Mamelodi Sundowns this season, but one player who seems to not have been affected by that chopping and changing is Percy Tau. The 23-year-old, or “Mr Consistent”, played 90 minutes in all six Absa Premiership games for the Brazilians in April. In the process, he banged in two goals that drew him level on 11 goals in the race for the top goal scorer award with Polokwane City’s Rodney Ramagalela. While he has scored just two goals, he has helped his team-mates get on the score sheet countless times, as the likes of Khama Billiat, Themba Zwane and Sibusiso Vilakazi all benefitting from Tau’s creativity. In those six games where Tau starred, Downs collected 16 points which led them to the league title. It was not a complete spotless month for the Bafana star as Downs succumbed to Maritzburg United in the Nedbank Cup semifinals.
KEYWORD: TAU
Lebohang Maboe
Lebohang Maboe has been one of the unsung heroes in Maritzburg United’s glorious run this season and he was critical in April as he helped the side reach their first ever cup final with splendid displays in the Nedbank Cup. The 23-year-old may not posses the clinical and powerful shot his father Sidwell Maboe, who played for Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu in the old days did, but he certainly can score some goals. Maboe was instrumental as the Team of Choice knocked Sundowns out of Ke Yona beating them 3-1 in the semifinals. His 43rd minute equaliser after Gaston Sirino had put Sundowns ahead earlier set United up for an epic come-frombehind win. He also played an unbelievable ball for Andrea Fileccia to score the second goal. Maboe was again in the thick of things as he equalised with just three minutes to spare to save Maritzburg a point in a league match against Sundowns three days later.
KEYWORD: MABOE
Mosa Lebusa
Ajax Cape Town are still in serious danger of relegation from the Absa Premiership, sitting in the play-off spot with one game left to play, and also facing potential problems off the field with the ongoing issue over the playing status of striker Tendai Ndoro. If they do go down, the Urban Warriors will face a huge battle to keep their top players and one of those is surely left back Mosa Lebusa, who did all he could in April to help his side in their battle against the drop. Lebusa was ever-present in the Ajax defence in April as they picked up two vital home wins over Bidvest Wits and Baroka FC, keeping clean sheets in the process. The 25 year-old even popped up with his second league goal of the season, a stoppage time winner against Baroka, and then added his third in the next game at Mamelodi Sundowns, though the Urban Warriors went on to lose that match 3-1.
KEYWORD: LEBUSA