The debate around who deserves to be crowned Player of the Season has divided opinions across the country, and Arthur Zwane has now added his voice to the conversation, but not without throwing a curveball in his reasoning.
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The AmaZulu coach, who spent over two decades at Kaizer Chiefs as both a player and a coach, admits it’s a tight race between Orlando Pirates prodigy Relebohile Mofokeng and Mamelodi Sundowns talisman Lucas Ribeiro Costa. While Zwane was full of praise for the 21-year-old Buccaneers star, he still leaned toward Ribeiro as his ultimate pick for the top individual accolade.
“I don't wanna sound controversial, but I think Rele... he carried Orlando Pirates throughout the season,” Zwane said.
“You look at Lucas Ribeiro, obviously, Sundowns won the league. So, to be quite honest, it’s Ribeiro.”
Zwane didn’t hold back in acknowledging Mofokeng’s meteoric rise this season, particularly highlighting the teenager’s consistency and the weight of responsibility he bore for a club of Pirates’ stature.
“As a youngster, doing what he has done this past season, carrying a giant on his shoulders, it was something else. It was amazing, and we need players like him,” Zwane said.
He added how Mofokeng’s rapid integration into the senior national team setup under coach Hugo Broos was achieved, despite having minimal involvement in the U20 or U23 sides, speaks volumes about his exceptional quality. Zwane also gave credit to development coaches at the School of Excellence and Pirates’ structures, including Duku-Duku Makhanya and Jose Riveiro, for nurturing and trusting the talent.
“Today, the player that scored the equaliser is also from the development. So it tells you that South African football is going far in that regard.”
But when it comes to who gets the main prize, Zwane was clear: Ribeiro’s influence in a title-winning Sundowns team gives him the edge.
On other awards, Zwane believes there should be no debate about who the Coach of the Season is.
“It’s as simple as that. You win the league, you are Coach of the Season. Miguel Cardoso could have easily lost it, but Sundowns won the league with so many points. So we should give credit to the Sundowns technical team.”
He also threw in two names for the Midfielder of the Season accolade: Teboho Mokoena and Makhehlene Makhaula.
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