Following last week's column on the DStv Premiership awards, with specific focus on the Coach of the Season award, and the arguments that they drew, this week is going to be no different as we look at the second contentious award, which really got people talking – Footballer of the Season! One believes we all have a role to play in improving our football product rather than just lamenting it without providing any solutions.
The Footballer of the Season is an award that is judged based on an individual player's performance overall, not just in the league, and only the 16 DStv Premiership coaches get to vote. Three names were put forward as the candidates for this prestigious award that proved to, once again, cause a lot of tension and set the cat among the pigeons. Teboho Mokoena, Ronwen Williams and Monnapule Saleng were the three names nominated and seen as best suited to battle it out for the biggest category award for any footballer. It is history now that Mokoena got the most votes from the coaches and ascended to the podium (virtually, that is!) to receive his award and prize money. No amount of noise will change the coaches' decision or votes because life has to go on.
Well, whether you agree with the coaches or not, Tebza is officially the DStv Premiership 2022/23 Footballer of the Season. If we put the rules and the criteria in place, without emotion or sentiment, we surely wouldn't be where we are today – arguing about who deserved it more between the former SuperSport United midfielder and the ex-Free State Stars attacker. How do you justify Tebza's performances, as great as he was for Mamelodi Sundowns this past campaign – take nothing away from him – overall, against what Saleng did for the Buccaneers? The 25-year-old singlehandedly lead Orlando Pirates out of a hellhole and brought the "Happy People" atmosphere among the team's supporters back, after a long time. This is a player who started the season with little to nothing expected from him, as he was expected to be a bit-part player in a relatively newly assembled Bucs team. His loan move and exploits at Swallows FC didn't do enough to raise expectations for the gold-toothed attacker, but it proved to be the best thing for his career.
Saleng literally changed Pirates' fortunes and even Stevie Wonder would see that and agree. You take out Saleng and this Pirates season would have been a completely different story, that's just how important he was to coach Jose Riveiro's team and his impact can't be over-emphasised. This was not just in getting Pirates second on the log but winning both the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup gongs. Saleng is a second-Top Goal-Scorer (with 11 goals) behind joint-Top Goal-Scorers Peter Shalulile and Khanyisa Mayo (12 goals each) in the league, with eight assists, and that's an attacking midfielder. That's an impressive run, by any means or standards. If you are talking cup competitions, you just can't not mention Saleng's name in the analysis of Bucs' double championship campaign.
To this day, one wonders how the independent judges omitted Saleng from the Nedbank Cup nominees, let alone how Iqraam Rayners won it ahead of the players who lifted the trophy. Since when do we have players who were knocked out in the semi-finals winning an award ahead of individuals who led their team to the podium? Another emotional or sentimental decision, one thinks, because history will tell you that when you win the trophy, you are the 'last man standing' and therefore no one deserves the award more than you.
How do you explain these inconsistencies? What happened to the champions dominating the awards of the trophy they won? At the end of the day, we shoot ourselves in the foot by setting a wrong precedent and when people critique us, we take offence. Once again, this is not about the League but the people who were entrusted with ensuring the spirit of Fair Play in these awards by following the criteria to the tee. If we follow the rules and the criteria, how then do we interpret things differently? Tebza had a blinder of a season for Sundowns and no one can argue about that! It is a fact! Him getting the accolades he got, especially Midfielder of the Season, is bucking the trend and something to be celebrated! He didn't win these awards for himself but for the likes of Andile Jali, Willard Katsande and Hlompho Kekana, to mention just three.
The defensive midfielders have always been overlooked when it comes to Midfielder and Footballer of the Season because they are not your 'fancy' and creative players. These guys hardly ever get any recognition for the dirty job they do with a smile on their face because they are seldom anyone's favourites. They are workaholics, dark and dirty horses, and it is about time we get things right with these awards. One has always been of the view that if you are talking about Midfielder of the Season, there has to be a clear distinction between an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder. You just can't have both midfielders in the same hat for a prize because an attacking midfielder can't be compared to the strikers. To solve this madness, a new category is urgently needed to separate defensive midfielders from their attacking counterparts, so that all the departments get the recognition they duly deserve.
If you say the Footballer of the Season is judged by all 16 coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players, based on individual performance on all fronts, meaning league and cup games, then guys, come on! Let us not fool ourselves here, let us not even try to justify nonsense! Teboho Mokoena was a top performer, hands down, but to say he was an overall top performer domestically is stretching it too far. You have to give it to Saleng! The problem is when we use the same metrics to measure different kinds of players, which can be solved by an introduction of separating the defensive and attacking midfielder category into two rather than one, which is why these awards will always be covered in controversy.
Once again, you can't compare Saleng and Mokoena for a Midfielder of the Season because they bring two completely different profiles that need to be judged individually. What Saleng brings to the team is not the same as what Tebza brings to his team. Therefore there has to be a new category in the midfield to recognise the defensive duty that is done by our hardmen, otherwise they will always come short against their offensive counterparts. No one remembers the tackles, keeping ball possession, protecting the back four and initiating attacks from deep, at the end of the season. However, everyone knows how many assists and goals came from an attacking midfielder, which can easily sway everyone's vote in their favour.
For the record, the Last Man Standing and Players' Player of the Season awards were not enough to recapitulate the season Saleng had. Yes, he won two out of his four nominations, but still that wasn't enough. Saleng deserved more! Sunday, May 28, should have been a night to remember for the Boitumelong, Bloemhof-born star, but it wasn't to be! For his first season at Pirates, he should be proud of himself and what he has achieved and continue from where he left off when the new season kicks off.
The sad news of the passing away of coach Clive Barker was a sucker punch that no one saw coming. Yes, the 1996 Afcon-winning coach had not been well for some time, but his passing still hurts. This is a man who has done so much for South African football, a man worthy of a national or provincial funeral, for sure! Heartfelt condolences to coach Clive's family and friends. As if that was not enough, another coach, Mike Lukhubeni, was tragically shot in Cape Town. Another sad loss for South African football! Condolences to coach Mike's family and friends. Our football is poorer without these two mentors.
On a light and positive note, we congratulate the two winners of the SCORE Energy drink Zenzele competition, in association with Soccer Laduma, who have won soccer kits, equipment and prize money to contribute towards sustaining their amateur teams. Sidwell Makgotho and Peter Ngobeni emerged as the two winners.
Cheers,
VeeJay
