‘I’d give it to Lucas Ribeiro for obvious reasons and what he has done in the previous season where he was untouchable,’ Kekana said.
Mamelodi Sundowns legend Hlompho Kekana has backed Lucas Ribeiro to scoop the top prize at the upcoming 2024-25 PSL Awards, set to take place on Tuesday evening.
Sundowns’ front-runner
Ribeiro is the front-runner for the prestigious Footballer of the Season accolade following yet another standout campaign in the PSL.
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The Brazilian forward netted 16 goals to finish as the Betway Premiership’s top scorer and played a key role in guiding Sundowns to an unprecedented eighth consecutive league title.
He faces competition from Orlando Pirates sensation Relebohile Mofokeng and surprise finalist Keletso Makgalwa of Sekhukhune United.
Kekana, who now works as an analyst for SABC Sport, believes Ribeiro’s consistency and impact throughout the season gives the edge over the other two finalists who are also nominated for the Players’ Player of the Season
“I’d give it to Lucas Ribeiro for obvious reasons and what he has done in the previous season where he was untouchable,” Kekana said on Radio 2000.
“I saw him in camp and I saw the amount of happiness to be around the boys, you can tell that he’s now free and he can speak a little bit of English.
“He’s a player that always wants to do well but last season he was untouchable and unmatched. You could tell that he was very good and played well for Sundowns.”
Fiercely contested
Another fiercely contested category is the Midfielder of the Season award, an accolade Kekana himself claimed at the end of the 2018/19 season.
This year’s nominees include Makhehlene Makhaula of Pirates, alongside Sundowns duo Marcelo Allende and Teboho Mokoena.
“Well, I’d love to see Marcelo Allende finally get rewarded because this is a boy that I believe performs consistently week in and week out with a level of maturity on how he approaches football matches,” Kekana concluded.
“Of course, he’s not a fancy player. You have to know your football to understand and identify the good work that he’s doing so I’d like to see him being awarded the midfielder of the season and see him winning it.”
PSL Awards live on Tuesday
The PSL Awards will be broadcast live from 7pm on SABC Sport and SuperSport, as South Africa’s finest football talent takes centre stage.
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Last season, Ronwen Williams claimed the coveted Footballer of the Season prize, and fans across the country are waiting with bated breath to see who will be crowned the new king of the domestic game.