Following their defense of the DSTV Premiership title, Mamelodi Sundowns coach and some of his players received some accolades in the inaugural COSAFA Awards on Thursday night at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Coach Rulani Mokwena, Andile Dlamini, Ronwen Williams and Thapelo Maseko, were honoured at the prestigious awards.
Mokwena was named Coach of the Year, he was earlier in the week named Coach of the Month at the DStv Premiership Monthly Awards. The Johannesburg-born tactician cemented his name in the pantheon of prominent African coaches when he famously guided his side to glory in the inaugural African Football League. Furthermore, he won 45 games in all competitions in the year 2023.
Goal keepers Andile Dlamini and Ronwen Williams were respectively named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. In September 2023, the Ladies team won the COASAFA Women’s Champions League and Dlamini was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament. Banyana Ba Style went on to win at the CAF Women’s Champions in November 2023, where Dlamini grabbed the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. She was also named in the Team of the Tournament.
Williams’ impressive run as the Brazilian’s number one saw him walk away with the Goalkeeper of the Tournament accolade in the African Football League. He was also named Goalkeeper of the Season in the topflight for the 2022/23 season. Furthermore, as the captain of Bafana Bafana, he led his side into qualifying for the African Cup of Nations where the national team finished third.
Maseko was not left out of the celebrations as he was named Men’s Most Promising Player, on Thursday night. His scintillating form has seen him lift his first trophy with Masandawana at the very first African Football League. He played a fundamental role in helping his side lift the silverware, which earned him the Best Player and Top Goal scorer of the Tournament. His outstanding performances saw him receive a call-up and helped Bafana Bafana soar to third place in the AFCON.
Source: www.sundownsfc.co.za