Some may have felt that Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana should’ve received the award, but ultimately, it was the 16 Premiership coaches that voted for Thembinkosi Lorch as the Footballer of the Year.
Orlando Pirates star Lorch was also chosen by the rest of the Premier Soccer League footballers as the Players’ Player of the Year at the PSL Awards in Durban on Sunday night, as none of his Buccaneers teammates could vote for him.
So, that’s an undoubted affirmation that Lorch is the best of the best, but the Bafana Bafana winger is not getting carried away with it all.
Of course, as much as Pirates took Sundowns all the way to the final round in the league title race, Milutin Sredojevic’s team didn’t win any silverware.
“I would like to thank my family for supporting me, since day one. For me, I would say it was a good season. We were just unfortunate that we didn’t win a trophy, you know,” Lorch told the Orlando Pirates Twitter account in a video.
“We know that in South Africa, people judge you by what you brought to the table.
“But ja, I think our team did well – we were just unfortunate. We needed luck.
“It means a lot, because this is the biggest award. I don’t think it will put pressure on myself. I just need to work hard, as always, and maybe work more.”
Another Pirates award winner at the International Convention Centre was Vincent Pule, whose left-footed pile-driver was voted as the Goal of the Season.
“I just want to thank God, and everyone who voted for me, Pirates supporters, my family. And all the people from my home town QwaQwa. I’m very, very humbled,” Pule added.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/OfficialPSL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficialPSLFootballer of the Season | Thembinkosi Lorch
🏆 #AbsaPrem Player's Player of the Season | Thembinkosi Lorch
🏆 ABSA-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season | Vincent Pule
— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates)
@ashfakmohamed