Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro Costa, one of the favourites to win the PSL Footballer of the Season award, would be making new history, as a foreign player, should he claim the accolade.
Costa has been one of the standout performers for Sundowns this season, scoring 20 goals (only three in the CAF Champions League) and 13 assists in all competitions and has been punted to walkway with the biggest player accolade of the campaign.
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However, the Brazilian faces stiff competition from Orlando Pirates forward Relebohile Mofokeng, who inspired Pirates to chase Masandawana for the title and has scored 12 goals (five from CAF Champions League) and has 15 assists in all tournaments.
Historically, when it comes to nationalities, the PSL Footballer of the Season award, voted for by PSL coaches, has been dominated by South African players, especially since it was introduced in the current format in 2008.
Since former Pirates and Sundowns midfielder Teko Modise won the coveted award, which takes into consideration all the domestic competitions, back-to-back in 2008 and 2009, the Footballer of the Season accolade has been won by all South African players for eight straight seasons up until the 2015/16 campaign, where Zimbabwean Khama Billiat was crowned the best player.
From the inauguration of the award in 2008, there has not been a player who has been given the honour by 16 PSL coaches, outside of Africa, as the only other player to win the accolade outside of the borders of Mzansi is The Brazilians striker, Namibian Peter Shalulile, who won the award for two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022.
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Should Costa walkway with the Footballer of the Season award, he will become the first South American and indeed, the first player outside of the continent to claim the award.
Since the PSL inception in 1996, there has also not been a traditional Player of the Season from outside Africa, with the likes of Zimbabweans Wilfred Mugeyi, Benjani Mwaruwari and Tinashe Nengomasha, Nigerian Raphael Chukwu and Zambian Collins Mbesuma all being named the best player in the league from outside the country prior to 2008.
