Flames stars miss out on PSL awards
Seven Malawian footballers based in South Africa have missed out on nominations for that country’s Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) 13 awards categories—confirming the players’ tailing fortunes in the just-ended season.
The PSL revealed 35 players short-listed for the 2014/15 PSL awards to be dished out this Sunday at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.
The nominations are for best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, young player, top scorer, footballer of the season, players’ player of the season, MTN Last Man Standing, Telkom Knock-Out Player of the Tournament (and top scorer), Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season, Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament and Nedbank Cup Young Player of the Tournament.
Last season, Bloemfontein Celtic’s Frank ‘Gabadinho’ Mhango got nominated for Young Player of the Year Award, which he narrowly missed out. Compatriot Robert Ng’ambi got short-listed in Nedbank Cup and MTN best player categories.
He eventually scooped the latter whereas Celtic awarded Mhango as top scorer and players’ player of year. However, this year, Celtic have cancelled such awards over the team’s underperformance.
In the previous season, Ng’ambi was the runner-up best player while Mzava was among the nominees for Young Player of the Year.
Mhango, who endured a torrid second season at Celtic with a return of just four league goals, on Monday promised to bounce back.
“I wanted to achieve something this season, but this is football. It has its ups and downs. There is always tomorrow,” Mhango said in a telephone interview.
Platinum Stars’ Ng’ambi also managed just four goals and his modest performance could be attributed to injuries that kept him out of action for over three months.
With seven league goals compared to six last season, Nyondo is relatively the most successful this season. As usual, a season could not end without his courting assortment of injuries.
Mhango hardly played for Celtic this season; only seeing regular action in the last five matches.
Limbikani Mzava made just 18 Celtic appearances in the just-ended campaign, a development that has seen him not renewing his contract. He is poised to start a new lease of life at Mpumalanga Black Aces mid-June.
Other Malawians in the PSL are Esau Kanyenda (Polokwane City) and on-loan Ajax Cape Town’s Robin Ngalande.
Flames coach Young Chimodzi yesterday said the club’s struggles of the PSL legion were also evident in their national team showing.
“For example, Robert struggled due to injuries and Gaba’s form also slumped after a promising start. It is a cause for concern and explains why we left out Gaba recently. I can only hope the form he finished the season with will be carried over to the national team,” Chimodzi said.
Free State Stars’ Malawian coach KinnnahPhiri has also not made the Coach of the Year list whose nominees include PSL championship winning Kaizer Chiefs Stuart Baxter.
“This season Malawians didn’t do well mostly because of the changing of coaches at their respective clubs. When new coaches come, they tend to sideline other players,” Kinnah said on Tuesday.
On a positive note, none of the clubs for Malawians got relegated from the PSL this season whereas Harry Nyirenda of the second-tier First Division’s Black Leopards is now fighting for PSL promotion play- offs.
PSL foreigners such as Cameroonian Patrick Tignyemb, Togolese Dave Wome and Zimbabwean Willard Katsande have been nominated for several categories.
