24 May 2006

Sponsor Castle Lager honoured the Premier Soccer League's best at an end of season function in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, with Mamelodi Sundowns' Surprise Moriri walking away as the big winner.

The Brazilians' midfield star won the awards for Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season. The first award was worth R160 000 and the second worth R60 000.

Moriri won the Player of the Season Award ahead of his team-mate Esrom Nyandoro, Kaizer Chiefs' Player of the Year David Obua and Bloemfontein Celtic playmaker Siyabonga Nkosi. In the Players' Player of the Year category, he won from the afore-mentioned trio and Orlando Pirates' Isaac Chansa.

Pivotal role
Moriri, who joined the club from Silver Stars in 2003/04, played a pivotal role in Sundowns' title-winning season, scoring 11 goals from midfield as the Brazilians ended Kaizer Chiefs' two-year run as league champions.

His former coach, Owen Da Game, was named Coach of the Season after leading Stars to an impressive fifth-place finish.

The Referee of the Year was shared by Ace Ncobo, who will retire at the end of next season, and Abdul Ebrahim.

Swallows bag two
Moroka Swallows picked up two awards. Mame Niang won R60 000 for finishing as the top goal scorer in the PSL with 14 to his name, while the club pocketed R100 000 after being named the Perfectly Balanced Team of the Season.

Although Bloemfontein Celtic finished only tenth in the 16-team league, the team's fans were recognised for their unwavering support when they won the Supporters Recognition Award.

The Finest Moment of the Season Award went to Sundowns' Esrom Nyandoro for his long-range goal against Supersport United that saw the champions secure an important one-nil win in Mid-April as the league wound down to its conclusion.

Player of the Season: Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Players' Player of the Season: Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Coach of the Season: Owen da Gama (Silver Stars)
Finest Moment of the Season: Esrom Nyandoro's long-range goal vs Supersport United
Perfectly Balanced Team of the Season: Moroka Swallows
Referee of the Season: Ace Ncobo and Abdul Ebrahim

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