SIMBA RUSHWAYA, SAVIOUS KWINIKA, GIFT NDOLWANE & MTHULISI SIBANDASports Reporters
JOHANNESBURG – As the 2015/16 Absa Premier Soccer League season’s curtain is about to come down in a season that was dominated by champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Africa Press Association (APA) predicts who will win the best player gong. APA is the parent company to the Gauteng Guardian newspaper and Centre for African Journalists (CAJ) News agency.
CAJ News Africa has sports journalists nationwide and across Africa’s 22 countries.
Simba Rushwaya (Gauteng Guardian News Editor)
The modern football analysis has become so harsh on outstanding defenders and defensive midfielders, thereby soccer pundits ending up choosing strikers and attackers as the best footballers.
Gone are the days when players like Franz Beckenbauer, that elegant Germany defender, were named best footballers even if they operated at the rear of the field.
My deserving Player of the Season despite he was not playing in the same position as Beckenbauer, is Hlompho Kekana, the Mamelodi Sundowns hustler. He did the dirty work for the so called CBD in the middle of the park and at times would score crucial goals for the Brazilians.
As usual, the commentators will settle for one of the attackers among Keegan Dolly, Khama Billiat and Leandro Castro, but I beg to differ. Kekana deserves this award.
Savious-Parker Kwinika (CAJ Editor-In-Chief)
The 2015/2016 Absa premiership has been a tough, but exciting football season. We witnessed some underdog teams exhibit sterling performances while the so-called big guns show pathetic display.
As the premiership curtains come down, obviously there are names that feature prominently for the accolade.
I take off my hat off to Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder-cum-striker Khama Billiat, Mpumalanga Black Aces veteran striker Collins Mbesuma, Bidvest Wits acrobatic goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs,and SuperSport United’s Jeremy Brockie.
The four are my top contenders for this season’s Absa’s player of the Year.
Gift Ndolwane (Group Online Editor)
Now that the championship has been wrapped, traditionally a team that wins the Championship always produces the Player of Season.
However, if anything has to go by, Ajax Cape Town’s Prince Nxumalo could shrug of challenges from current leading Absa Premiership goal scorer Collins Mbesuma who has been firing from all cylinders.
He has fewer gamers than other forwards after being sidelined because of illness. He came back stronger to inspire his team to wins against Supersport and Polokwane City .
If judging panel criteria was based on ratio games he surely might take it, but Ajax are a shadow of a team that won the MTN 8. Their performances have been uninspiring of late and if that lux performance continue there might miss their Top 8 finish.
Mthulisi Sibanda (CAJ News’ Africa Editor)
There is something South Africa’s northern neighbours just seem to get it right where the former is failing- unearthing strikers that register double-digit goal scoring figures consistently.
Zimbabwe has over the years produced an array of fearsome attackers that sure know their way to goal-from the yesteryear era of Kaizer Chiefs legend Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo right through to the 1990s and 2000s when Wilfred Mugeyi was a household name and Benjani Mwaruwari made his mark at Jomo Cosmos.
A number of midfielders such as Tinashe Nengomasha have also made an impression.
For their efforts, the trio has finished their respective season with the PSL Player of the Season.
If the recent campaign is anything is to go by, Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Khama Billiat, is the odds-on favourite to land that biggest individual accolade in local football.
Alongside Keegan Dolly and Leonardo Castro, he has been the arrowhead of a trio known as the CBD, which has steered The Brazilians to a record seventh title.
With ten goals to his name, four fewer than leading scorer, Collins Mbesuma at the time of going to print, and numerous assists, Billiat had his most successful campaign.
While his CBD colleagues have been rampant and there have been solid midfield displays by teammate Hlompo Kekana, ask any opponent or coach who they hate playing against, Billiat is the answer that will crop up.
No wonder he is the league’s most fouled striker.
That has emerged the most effective way to stop him.
I see nothing stopping him getting the Player of the Season accolade
