Mofokeng sweeps PSL awards as Orlando Pirates dominate ceremony

Relebohile Mofokeng completed a remarkable clean sweep at the Premier Soccer League’s annual awards on Monday night, as Orlando Pirates dominated a virtual ceremony that underlined their resurgence at the top of South African football.

The 21-year-old, who left Orlando Pirates after the World Cup to join Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League, was named Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year after starring in a season that saw Pirates win the Betway Premiership for the first time since 2012.

Mofokeng also retained the Young Player of the Year award he had claimed last year, taking his tally to three trophies on the night and confirming his status as the standout performer of the domestic campaign.

Pirates and Ouaddou sweep major honours

The ceremony was heavily tilted in favour of the newly crowned champions, with Orlando Pirates collecting 10 awards in total.

Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was recognised as Coach of the Season after guiding the Buccaneers to the title in his first campaign in charge. The Moroccan’s success brought an end to Mamelodi Sundowns’ eight-year stranglehold on the league championship.

Pirates players won four further top positional prizes. Sipho Chaine took the Goalkeeper of the Season award after a record-breaking league campaign in which he conceded only 12 goals. Lebone Seema was named Defender of the Season, while Oswin Appollis received the Midfielder of the Season accolade.

Camren Dansin completed the league-specific honours for Pirates with Goal of the Season, awarded for his long-range strike in a 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns last year.

Cup competitions bring more silverware for Bucs

Orlando Pirates’ success extended beyond the league categories into the domestic cup awards.

Tshepang Moremi was chosen as MTN8 Last Man Standing, the award given to the best player in that competition, recognising his influence in Pirates’ run in the early-season tournament.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who left Pirates in January to join Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire in the United States, was named Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament. His performances were central to Pirates lifting the Carling Knockout trophy in December, before his move abroad.

Those additional honours took Pirates’ overall tally on the night to double figures and underlined the breadth of contribution across the squad during a landmark season for the club.

Durban City and TS Galaxy also recognised

Outside of Pirates’ dominance, Durban City and TS Galaxy were also represented among the winners.

Durban City’s experienced goalkeeper Darren Keet was voted Nedbank Cup Player of the Year after playing a key role in an historic triumph for the club in that competition. His displays across the tournament were seen as decisive in securing the cup success.

TS Galaxy’s Seluleko Mahlambi was named Nedbank Cup Young Player of the Tournament. Despite TS Galaxy finishing as beaten finalists, Mahlambi’s performances were acknowledged as the most impressive by an emerging talent in the competition.

The awards brought formal recognition to a season in which Orlando Pirates ended a long league title drought, Mamelodi Sundowns’ extended dominance was finally halted, and several individual performances – led by Mofokeng’s outstanding campaign – reshaped the landscape at the top of South African football.