As the new Premier Soccer League season is underway, with clubs contesting for places in the MTN8, SuperSport.com looks at all the past winners of the Player of the Season award and where are they now?
1996/1997: Wilfred Mugeyi (Bush Bucks)
The first foreigner to win the award, Mugetyi scored 25 goals in the season (22 in the league) for Umtata Bucks. Together with his twin brother William, operates a soccer acadmy in East London and plans to open a similar one in Zimbabwe.
1997/1998: Raphael Chukwu (Mamelodi Sundowns)
The Nigerian striker was a consistent marksman as his club won their first title in five seasons. While he scored 14 league goals, his main contribution was dragging defenders all over the pitch to allow teammates like Daniel Mudau to also fill their scoring boots. Chukwu is now a businessman, specialing in the telecommunications and restaurant industries.
1998/1999: Pollen Ndlanya (Kaizer Chiefs)
Although his club finished second to Sundowns in the league standings, albeit by goal difference only, the imposing striker won the PSL award. He netted 25 goals in the campaign. “I'm a hustler like everybody. I am pushing my own businesses,” he said in a recent interview about his post-soccer career.
1999/2000: Siyabonga Nomvethe (Kaizer Chiefs)
The flying attacker won his first Bafana Bafana cap in the season as he helped to win the BoB Save Super Bowl, scoring 22 goals in all competitions. He went onto a distinguished career, with a spell in Serie A and 82 caps for South Africa. After leaving his assistant coach job at AmaZulu, he has opened a foundation looking to develop talent in KwaZulu-Natal.
2000/2001: Benjani Mwaruwari (Jomo Cosmos)
South Africa was stepping stone for the Zimbabwean, who went onto play at AJ Auxerre in France and Manchester City. He won the award after helping Cosmos to fifth place in the league, scoring 14 goals and impressing with his obvious talent. He is in England working as a coach at the Plymouth Argyle Academy.
2001/2002: Andre Arendse (Santos)
First goalkeeper to win the award after Cape Town club and emerged as surprise league winners. He was ever present for the club and played at the end of the season as first choice for Bafana Bafana at the World Cup in South Korea. Now assistant to Gavin Hunt at SuperSport United.
2002/2003: Mbulelo Mabizela (Orlando Pirates)
Prodigious talent who captained the Buccaneers to the league title with a six point gap over second placed SuperSport United.
He was also made Bafana Bafana captain. His hedonist lifestyle cost him greater glory and last year AmaZulu lookes to help him by appointing him under-13 coach but then let him go after he went missing on several occasions.
2003/2004: Tinashe Nengomasha (Kaizer Chiefs)
His strong midfield play at the heart of AmaKhosi’s league triumph saw him also voted Players’ Player of the Season. He also helped the club to Coca-Cola Cup success. The Zimbabwean is now back home and is team manager of Ngezi Platinum Stars, who won the league last season.
2004/2005: Collins Mbesuma (Kaizer Chiefs)
A record breaking 35 goal haul in his first full season in the PSL meant Mbesuma was a shoo-in for the award. It also earned him a move to Portsmouth in England. His career eventually ended two years ago and he moved onto a job as thr striker coach at Sekhukhune United last season.
2005/2006: Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Tricky attacking midfielder whose array of skills made him a crowd pleaser and a major part of the Brazilians’ league winning team. He was also only three goals shy of emerging as the top striker for the season. Serves a head coach of Sundowns’ under-19 team.
2006/2007: Godfrey Sapula (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Hard grafting midfielder who helped Sundowns win the league for a second successive season and was also recognised by peers as Players’ Player of the Season, also returning to the Bafana team after a three-year absence. He is a youth coach at Sundowns who has just obtained his CAF A license.
2007/2008: Elias ‘Dominguez’ Pelembe (SuperSport United)
The Mozambican winger proved one of the signings of the decade as he helped SuperSport to a first ever league title, dazzling with his dribbling skills. Coach Gavin Hunt still insists he is the best player he ever worked with. Dominguez captained Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the year and is at UD Songo in his home country, still playing at the age of 40.
2008/2009: Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates)
The Pirates fullback was a killer from the penalty spot and a top quality defender for the Buccaneers, who were runners-up in the league on goal difference only to SuperSport. Last year he highlighted his struggles to find employment after his career came to an end.
2009/2010: Daine Klate (SuperSport United)
Bustling with energy and terrorising defenders, Klate was a major factor in SuperSport winning the league for a third season in succession. Hje was signed by Orlando Pirates after the campaign. His had a brief spell as Chippa United coach and then at La Masia in the Motsepe Foundation Championship last season.
2010/2011: Thulani Serero (Ajax Cape Town)
Ajax missed out on the championship on the last day of the season after a horror error but Serero was still named best player after a season of stylish midfield play. It earned him a move to Ajax Amsterdam and a successful 10-year career in the Netherlands. At 34, he is still playing, at Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
2011/2012: Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows)
At the age of 34, Nomvete became the first man to win the Player of the Season award twice as he helped Swallows to runners up spot in the league. His 19 league goals also made him top scorer.
2012/2013: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs)
Chiefs were league champions for the first time in eight seasons with Khune playing a huge role with his leadership and goalkeeping. He has been on the club’s books since his debut in 2007 but now at the age of 37 it is not clear what plans the club have for him.
2013/2014: Sibusiso Vilakazi (BIDVest Wits)
The midfield skills of Vilakazi saw him stand out in the season in which his club finished in third place. He was on the radar of many overseas clubs but elected to stay another season at Wits. Later he moved to Mamelodi Sundowns and TS Galaxy and at the end of last season, at the age of 34, was released by Sekhukhune United.
2014/2015: Tefu Mashamaite (Kaizer Chiefs)
Chiefs defender who was a bulwark as they won the league for a second time in three seasons. He was involved in every league game for the season. He had a brief spell in Sweden thereafter and a stint at SuperSport. He is president of the newly formed Football Union of South Africa, which aims to help young players in developing all aspects of their professional careers.
2015/2016: Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns)
A fourth Zimbabwean to win the Player of the Season award as Sundowns romped to the title by 14 points. He scored 12 goals. Billiat moved to Chiefs after his contract at Sundowns ended in 2018 and spent five unremarkable seasons with AmaKhosi. He is now playing for Yadah in Zimbabwe.
2016/2017: Lebogang Manyama (Cape Town City)
Cape Town City were new to the topflight and had a dream first season, finishing third, qualifying for African club competition and winning the Telkom Knockout. Manyama was also the league’s top scorer and earned a move to Turkey. But his time in Europe was a flop and he was plagued with injury during his time thereafter at Chiefs. He is now back at City, as one of coach Eric Tinkler’s assistants.
2017/2018: Percy Tau (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Sundowns regained the title, beginning an unbeaten run as champions that continued to date. Tau’s running, probing and attacking flair made him the outstanding player of the season. He was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, who loaned him out to Belgian clubs for three seasons before giving him a brief six-month spell in the Premier League. In 2021, he moved to Egypt’s Al Ahly.
2018/2019: Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
Even though Pirates finished narrow runners-up to the Brazilians, Lorch’s contribution to the Pirates cause was enough to see him pip Sundowns rivals Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane to the award. He is now on Sundowns’ book after moving in January in a shock defection from the Buccaneers.
2019/2020: Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Zwane’s attacking acumen, ability to jinx his way past defenders made him patently the best player in the PSL. It was his fourth league winners’ medal with Sundowns and he has since gone onto win four more.
2020/2021: Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns)
The first Namibian to take the award and unanimously after his goalscoring exploits and his role in helping the Brazilians to yet another league title
2021/2022: Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Shalulile, who had begun his career in Namibia as a fullback, held onto his crown and became the first player to retain the award, again on the back of a swashbuckling scoring season as Sundowns dominated yet again.
2022/23: Teboho Mokoena
The fourth successive award for Sundowns as he edged several of his teammates to the accolade on the back of his driving midfield play and acumen at setpieces.