{"id":18717,"date":"2025-07-28T17:02:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T15:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=18717"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:10:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:10:04","slug":"psl-awards-kekana-endorses-sundowns-standouts-for-top-honours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/psl-awards-kekana-endorses-sundowns-standouts-for-top-honours\/","title":{"rendered":"PSL Awards: Kekana Endorses Sundowns Standouts for Top Honours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As anticipation builds ahead of the 2024\/25 PSL Awards, Mamelodi Sundowns icon Hlompho Kekana has thrown his weight behind some familiar faces at Chloorkop. He singled out Lucas Ribeiro and Marcelo Allende as standout candidates for the league\u2019s most coveted prizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lucas-ribeiro-tipped-for-footballer-of-the-season\"><strong>Lucas Ribeiro Tipped for Footballer of the Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kekana, now a respected analyst for SABC Sport, firmly believes that Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro should walk away with the prestigious Footballer of the Season award. The Brazilian striker enjoyed a phenomenal campaign. He finished as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/how-much-did-mamelodi-sundowns-pocket-for-winning-the-betway-premiership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Betway Premiership<\/a>\u2019s top scorer with 16 goals. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in helping Sundowns secure their eighth consecutive league title, a record-breaking feat in domestic football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cHe deserves it without a doubt. What he achieved last season was on another level,\u201d said Kekana during a recent interview on Radio 2000. \u201cHe\u2019s become more comfortable; you can even hear him speaking a bit of English now. The energy he brings to the camp is just infectious.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Ribeiro\u2019s consistency and leadership in attack have put him ahead of the competition. This includes Orlando Pirates\u2019 rising star Relebohile Mofokeng and Sekhukhune United\u2019s surprise package Keletso Makgalwa. All three are also in the running for the Players\u2019 Player of the Season award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2381855272\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-midfield-brilliance-recognised\"><strong>Midfield Brilliance Recognised<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another hotly contested category at this year\u2019s awards is Midfielder of the Season, a title Kekana himself once proudly claimed in the 2018\/19 season. This year, the nominees include Pirates\u2019 tenacious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/why-makhaula-deserve-player-of-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Makhehlene Makhaula<\/a> and two Sundowns stalwarts, Marcelo Allende and Teboho Mokoena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kekana believes Allende, in particular, deserves special recognition for his unwavering performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cMarcelo might not be flashy, but he\u2019s a footballer\u2019s footballer,\u201d Kekana said. \u201cYou need to understand the game to appreciate the quality and composure he brings every week. I hope he gets the reward he truly deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Allende\u2019s work rate, ability to dictate play, and football intelligence have quietly earned him plaudits among the league\u2019s top midfielders. He often flies under the radar compared to his more flamboyant peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-psl-spotlight-on-local-talent\"><strong>PSL Spotlight on Local Talent<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The inclusion of young talents like Mofokeng and Makgalwa has added extra excitement to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/sport\/soccer\/local-soccer\/kekana-backs-sundowns-stars-for-top-individual-psl-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this year\u2019s edition<\/a> of the PSL Awards. Mofokeng\u2019s rapid rise at Pirates has captured the imagination of fans across the country. Meanwhile, Makgalwa\u2019s impressive showings for Sekhukhune United have defied expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet for Kekana, it is the sheer dominance and influence of Ribeiro and Allende that make them the frontrunners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese are players who didn\u2019t just play well; they helped shape the season. They were consistent, reliable, and decisive, all the qualities you want in top professionals,\u201d Kekana added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-249167795\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-are-the-psl-awards\"><strong>When are the PSL Awards?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2024\/25 PSL Awards will be broadcast live on Tuesday evening at 7pm on both SABC Sport and SuperSport. Fans across the country will be tuning in to see which of Mzansi\u2019s football elite will be honoured for their performances over the past season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Sundowns players dominating several categories, it\u2019s clear the club\u2019s domestic dominance is being matched by individual brilliance. If Kekana\u2019s predictions come true, the awards night could turn into yet another celebration for the Brazilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/psl-announces-2025-psl-awards-nominees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PSL Announces 2025 PSL Awards Nominees<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As anticipation builds ahead of the 2024\/25 PSL Awards, Mamelodi Sundowns icon Hlompho Kekana has thrown his weight behind some familiar faces at Chloorkop. He singled out Lucas Ribeiro and Marcelo Allende as standout candidates for the league\u2019s most coveted prizes. Lucas Ribeiro Tipped for Footballer of the Season Kekana, now a respected analyst for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"As anticipation builds ahead of the 2024\/25 PSL Awards, Mamelodi Sundowns icon Hlompho Kekana has thrown his weight behind some familiar faces at Chloorkop. He...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[296,9146,288],"class_list":{"0":"post-18717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-betway-premiership","10":"tag-psl-awards","11":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18727,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18717\/revisions\/18727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}