R350 airtime up for grabs Four worthy award candidates
The Phakaaathi Player of the Month competition is back, with one lucky reader getting the chance to walk away with R350 in airtime. Phakaaathi’s writers have picked their four outstanding candidates for August, with all these players having shone on the South African scene last month. All you have to do is decide who you think deserves to walk away with the grand prize, and follow the competition rules in the advert on Page 9 to enter. Good luck!
Themba Zwane did not miss any of Mamelodi Sundowns’ four matches in the opening month of the Absa Premiership season and he played in both of Downs’ games in the MTN8. In those games, Zwane has scored in three of them and was named Man-of-theMatch twice – against Bloemfontein Celtic in the quarterfinal of the MTN8 and in the Pretoria derby against SuperSport United. Zwane was also one of the main characters when Masandawana walloped Congo-Brazzaville outfit Otoho d’Oyo 4-0 in the second leg of the preliminary round of the Caf Champions League. Sundowns scored four goals in that match and Zwane was the one who opened the floodgates. KEYWORD: ZWANE
A fully fit Bradley Grobler is one of the best strikers in the country – the 30-year-old is certainly one of the most technically-gifted goal-getters in the Absa Premiership. Grobler has been in amazing form for SuperSport United this season as he, together with Highlands Park striker Peter Shaulile, are the early front-runners in the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot chase. Grobler banged in four goals in all competitions in five of his games last month, already equalling his tally from last season. His brilliant partnership with Thamsanqa Gabuza has seen him make a return to the national team, as he was called up by Molefi Ntseki for the friendly against Zambia on September 7. KEYWORD: GROBLER
Kaizer Chiefs have got off to a surprisingly fine start to the Absa Premiership campaign, given their travails last season, and a decent part of that is down to the return to form and fitness of Erick Mathoho. Ernst Middendorp has given Mathoho a starting berth in central defence and perhaps also inspired by a desire to secure a new contract, the 29-year-old has been in brilliant form, as Chiefs have set the early pace. Mathoho has not just been good in his defensive role, he has also contributed two vital goals, winners against Highlands Park and Black Leopards. Mathoho’s form was enough to also earn him a place in Molefi Ntseki’s Bafana squad for the game against Zambia. KEYWORD: MATHOHO
Another man to make a welcome return to the Bafana squad, Kermit Erasmus has begun the season leading the line well for Cape Town City, netting two goals in August, albeit that neither of those goals came in a winning cause, with Benni McCarthy’s side getting off to a rather poor start to the 2019/20 campaign overall. Erasmus hammered in a fine strike against Baroka FC to put his side 2-0 up, but the Limpopo side fought back hard to draw 2-2. And the 29-year-old then gave City the early lead against Kaizer Chiefs at Newlands, and generally tormented the
Amakhosi defence, even though Ernst Middendorp’s side ultimately came back to win the game 2-1. KEYWORD: ERASMUS