Who will be PSL Footballer of the Season? Here are our five leading candidates

It’s that time of the year when public football discourse is dominated by which players stood head and shoulders above the rest after what has been an exciting season that has gone down to the wire.

For the first time in a number of seasons, the Betway Premiership title race is going to the final day with Mamelodi Sundowns or Orlando Pirates still in with a chance to be crowned champions.

The Buccaneers simply need a win against Durban City at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday. Downs completed their programme early because they are competing in the Caf Champions League final.

Players who will be contenders for major prizes in the Premier Soccer League Awards will come from Pirates and Sundowns because their teams were dominant over the campaign.

Kaizer Chiefs have secured third spot, which comes with Confederation Cup football next season, but it is anyone’s guess who is going to sneak into the top eight from the middle of the table.

There is another battle at the foot of the table where Marumo Gallants, Orbit College and Magesi FC face the grim possibility of automatic relegation to the Motsepe Foundation (MFC).

Sunday Times looks at five players who are in with a strong shout for Footballer of the Season:

Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates, Midfielder)

The speedster has been one of the consistent performers for Pirates in his first season at the Soweto giants, who he signed for from Polokwane City at the start of the campaign. Appollis was one of the driving forces behind the Buccaneers’ push for the league title, which has eluded them since 2012.

With Pirates strikers Yanela Mbuthuma and Evidence Makgopa firing blanks, the Bafana Bafana attacker made a solid contribution of nine goals and six assists in the league and was instrumental in other competitions. Pirates’ most consistent creative and attacking destructive force through the 10 months of the campaign, played a major role in their MTN8 (a goal and two assists in four games) and Carling Knockout (one assist, player-of-the-match in the final) trophy successes too.

Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates, Midfielder)

“President of the 2000s” didn’t have a good start to the season due to confidence issues as a result of a reported failed overseas move to follow Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who went to Chicago Fire in the US.

He also did not get enough game time at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco, but he bounced back in a major way in the second half of the season to breathe life into Pirates’ title charge with a telling contribution of 10 goals and eight assists in the league.

He scored one of two hat-tricks this season in Pirates’ 6-0 win over TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium in March.

Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns, Midfielder)

For another season, ‘Tebza’ was the heartbeat of the Sundowns engine room where he mostly operated with either Jayden Adams or Marcelo Allende.

Despite Downs’ heavy workload, largely due to the Champions League, he has kept going as a vital cog in the midfield for coach Miguel Cardoso and has a strong shout for the Midfielder of the Season award and the top prize.

Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates, Goalkeeper)

When it comes to individual end-of-season awards, the focus is usually on attacking players, but it would be unfair to ignore Pirates’ record-breaking goalkeeper.

He is the main reason Bucs conceded only 12 goals this season. In the process he set the PSL record for 20 clean sheets, which is the most in a single season.

He surpassed the previous record of 18 that was held by Ronwen Williams, but there is also a strong case for Brandon Petersen of Kaizer Chiefs, whose strong performances helped a weaker Amakhosi to third place.

Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns, Midfielder)

Just like Mofokeng, ‘Grootman’ did not have a good start to the season and as a result missed out on the 2025 Afcon in Morocco.

He bounced back at the turn of the year with powerful performances as the deep-lying midfielder for the Brazilians, where he played either with Mokoena or Allende.

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