Orlando Pirates won big at the 2023/24 Premier Soccer League Awards that were held on Sunday night, with no less than eight awards going to the Buccaneers.
An incredible team effort throughout the season saw the Club replicating the feat of the previous campaign where they bagged the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup crowns along with qualifying for the prestigious CAF Champions League following a second-place finish in the league.
The biggest winner on the night was undoubtedly midfielder Tito Maswanganyi. He may not have been nominated for the main award (the PSL Footballer of the Season), however if ever there was an award to be cherished, it would be that given to you by your peers and that is exactly what Maswanganyi walked away with as he claimed the DStv Premiership Player’s Player of the Season award.
The 26-year-old also grabbed himself, the DStv Midfielder of the Season and the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament awards.Close on his heels in terms of individual accolades, was Relebohile Mofokeng who claimed the Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player of the Season and the DStv Premiership Young Player of the Season.
Meanwhile, Goalkeeper Sipho Chaine’s heroics in the MTN8 Cup saw him emerge as the competition’s Last Man Standing after keeping two clean sheets in four games. The shot-stopper was nominated alongside teammates Zakhele Lepasa and Maswanganyi, whose exploits were also instrumental in delivering a second successive title to the Soweto Giants.
More individual brilliance in the Bucs camp was recognised as striker Tshegofatso Mabasa was confirmed as the winner of the PSL Golden Boot after netting 16 league goals in the campaign and Thabiso Lebitso’s thunderous strike in the Soweto Derby clash against Kaizer Chiefs was named Goal of the Season.
