Orlando Pirates midfielder Makhehlene Makhaula defied his significant market value drop to to beat highly expensive midfielders, Teboho Mokoena and Marcelo Allende to Midfielder of the Season award.
Makhaula gave hope to midfield players who are not crowd favorites or are not attractive going forward or not easy on the eye, after he won the Betway Premiership Midfielder of the Season award, ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns duo, Mokoena and Allende.
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When Pirates signed the veteran midfielder from AmaZulu eyebrows were raised, as he appeared, looking at his age, that his best years were behind him.
However, to comprehend the effort that the 35-year-old did and the significance of his award, is that he defied a market value drop, which has been going down since he signed for The Buccaneers.
Makhaula was valued at around R2,5 million when he joined The Buccaneers from Usuthu in January 2023 and at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, he was only valued R2 million.
After transfer data website Transfermarkt made the latest update on their valuations of players across the globe in May, the midfield work-horse was valued at a mere R1 million.
Makhaula's victory is football rewarding hard work, as he emerged victorious against highly valued midfielders, one of the highest in the league, as both Mokoena and Allende are currently valued at R48 million apiece.
However, the valuation is based on the marketability of a player, as both Mokoena and Allende could still be sold to teams overseas, compared to Makhaula, who at 35 is in the twilight of his career.
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Mokoena and Allende would be bitterly disappointed for not winning the award, given their quality, weighted on the market, particularly 'Tebza' who is arguably first choice midfielder for Bafana Bafana.
Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners has already expressed disappointment for not winning any award despite scoring 18 goals in all domestic competitions.
