Tau in the money
ACCOLADES: STAR NETS COOL R450 000 AT PSL AWARDS
Maritzburg players reap the rewards for fine season.
Percy Tau’s outstanding campaign with Mamelodi Sundowns got its just reward yesterday, as he was named the Premier Soccer League Footballer-of-the-Season and the Absa Premiership Players’ Player-ofthe-Season at the PSL Awards gala in Sandton.
The awards netted the 24-yearold R450 000 – R250 000 as the PSL Footballer-of-the-Season and another R200 000 as the Players’ Player-of-the-Season.
The Footballer-of-the-Season is selected by the 16 Premiership coaches, while the Players’ Player is self-explanatory – all the players in the top flight get a vote, with the only rule being that you are not allowed to vote for a player in your own team.
Tau had an excellent season as he helped Masandawana regain the Absa Premiership title – he finished as joint top scorer in the league along with Polokwane City’s Rodney Ramagalela, with both players netting 11 times.
The Bafana Bafana star also provided his fair share of assists, none more spectacular than the flick over his own head to set up Khama Billiat for the winner at Cape Town City on February 2.
Elsewhere, Maritzburg United’s players were rewarded for a fine season as they picked up five individual awards.
Talented midfielders Siphesihle Ndlovu and Lebohang Maboe won two gongs each – Ndlovu was named Absa Premiership Young Player-of-the-Season and Midfielder-of-the-Season.
Maboe, meanwhile, won both the Most Promising Player and Player-of-the-Tournament awards for the Nedbank Cup, after helping the Team of Choice all the way to the final.
Siyanda Xulu was the other United winner, the Bafana captain at the 2018 Cosafa Cup taking the Absa Premiership Defender-of-the-Season award.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane won the Absa Premiership Coach-of-the-Season after picking up a third league title in five full campaigns at the helm.
Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, meanwhile, found some solace after another trophy-less season as he picked up the Absa Premiership Goalkeeper-of-the-Season award.