Premier Soccer League unfazed by player awards furore

27 June 2017 - 11:53 By Khanyiso Tshwaku
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Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Mandla Masango during the Nedbank Cup final match between Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on June 24, 2017 in Durban, South Africa.
Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Mandla Masango during the Nedbank Cup final match between Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on June 24, 2017 in Durban, South Africa.
Image: Gallo Images

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) says the rigorous debate that has accompanied its player awards nomination list is a healthy and necessary one.

PSL spokesperson Lux September said on Tuesday the awards nominations always ignite debate and differing opinions on who the best players were during a season are not a bad thing.

“Every time we make an announcement for the awards and there's a debate‚ that means people are listening and they are interested‚" September said.

"I think it's a case of people not understanding the whole process because the process itself is waterproof. There will always be a difference of opinion.

“(On Monday) I was on Metro FM explaining the nomination process and we never get tired of explaining the nomination process.”

Another debatable point is the Nedbank Cup player of the tournament category where back-to-back champions SuperSport United are only represented by midfielder Teboho Mokoena while their seasonal daily bread Orlando Pirates are represented by Mpho Makola and Abbubaker Mobara.

SuperSport wiped the floor with the hapless Buccaneers on Saturday and their 4-1 routing of the Sea Robbers did not do justice to their overall dominance. September said Saturday's final would have been the incorrect yardstick to measure a player's performance throughout the six-match route to the final.

“If there are seven games in a tournament‚ why would you use one game as a yardstick for everything?

"Are those the kind of judges that we want‚ the ones who look at one game as the basis for the whole tournament?

"I don't think so and I don't want a situation where one game makes up our mind in regards with a tournament‚” September said.

- TimesLIVE

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