Mamelodi Sundowns' goolkeeper Ronwen Williams. Picture: Khaled DESOUKI, AFP
Smiso Msomi
The 2023/24 DStv Premiership season will come to its conclusion this weekend with matchday 30 taking centre stage.
The end of the campaign also means frontrunners for individual honours have an opportunity to place a final stamp on their would-be awards and close out the season in style.
One of those hotly contested this season has been the top goalscorer award, which, for the first time in almost five years, does not feature Mamelodi Sundowns man Peter Shalulile.
In his debut season, Lucas Ribeiro led the standings for a huge chunk of the season but in the past seven or eight games was overtaken by Tshegofatso Mabasa of Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch’s Iqraam Rayners.
Mabasa leads the standings with 15 strikers going into the final match day but is closely followed by Rayners, who has 14 goals this season. Given that Ribeiro, with 12 goals of his own, has suffered a season-ending injury, it has become a two-horse race for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot between the two Bafana strikers.
Ronwen Williams of champions Sundowns is expected to scoop his second successive DStv Goalkeeper of the Year award having kept 15 clean sheets in the 20 matches he’s played in the league this season.
Even with the likes of Stellies’ Sage Stephen (13) and AmaZulu’s Veli Mothwa (10) not too far behind, the fact that Williams is also vying for the Footballer of the Season award makes him a shoo-in for the goalkeepers award.
As seen over the years and in various leagues as well, the coach that led his side to the league title usually claims the coach of the year honours, which has placed Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena as the favourite once again.
Football lovers around the country can continue to wonder and pick their names for the likes of the goal of the season as well as the coveted footballer of the season.
smiso.msomi@inl.co.za
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