JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Ajax Amsterdam-bound Thulani Serero was celebrating Monday after being honoured four times and collecting $87,000 in prizes at the annual South African football awards ceremony here.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder from championship runners-up Ajax Cape Town was voted Player of the Season and also topped the league player, players' player and young player polls.
"I did not expect to win so many awards because there were some good footballers in contention like Andile Jali of Orlando Pirates and Knowledge Musona and Jimmy Tau of Kaizer Chiefs," he admitted.
"This is a good way of saying goodbye to South African football even though I would have loved to win the championship. Collecting four awards is a nice consolation.
"My next goal is to break into the Ajax Amsterdam first team," said the star hoping to emulate compatriot Steven Pienaar, a midfielder who made his mark with the Dutch club before moving to Germany and England.
"My dream has come true. I plan to work hard and make an impact in the Netherlands, but first I must listen to the coaches and technical staff and learn how they play at Ajax."
Serero has signed a four-year contract and provided there are no hiccups during a late June medical examination in Amsterdam, will join his new team-mates on pre-season tours of China and Scotland.
Zimbabwe striker Knowledge Musona of Kaizer Chiefs, who missed the function at a Johannesburg theatre because he is training for a Cup of Nations qualifier against Mali, and Pirates midfielder Tlou Segolela received two awards each.
Musona was honoured for finishing leading league scorer with 15 goals—an average of one every two games—and being the best player in the League Cup, which his club won to prevent a Pirates clean sweep of trophies.
A mesmerising dribble from inside his own half against Free State Stars gave Segolela the league goal of the season award and the 'Usain Bolt' of local football also got the nod as best young player in the South African FA Cup.
Cameroon-born Bloemfontein Celtic goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb, Pirates midfielder Andile Jali, veteran Moroka Swallows striker Siyabonga Nomvete, Dutch coach Ruud Krol and referee Daniel Bennett completed the winners' list.
Award winners
Footballer of Year - Thulani Serero (Ajax Cape Town)
Championship
Player - Serero
Players' player - Serero
Young player - Serero
Goalkeeper - Patrick Tignyemb (Bloemfontein Celtic/CMR)
Leading scorer - Knowledge Musona (Kaizer Chiefs/ZIM)
Best goal - Tlou Segolela (Orlando Pirates)
Coach - Ruud Krol (Pirates/NED)
Referee - Daniel Bennett
FA Cup
Player - Andile Jali (Pirates)
Young player - Segolela
League Cup
Player - Musona
Top 8 Cup
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder from championship runners-up Ajax Cape Town was voted Player of the Season and also topped the league player, players' player and young player polls.
Serero, ruled out of the South Africa squad by a hamstring injury for a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Egypt this weekend, joined the Dutch club for an undisclosed fee this month.
He has been consistently superb and scored 10 goals for a youthful Cape Town side who let slip top place on the final day of the season when held at home and Orlando Pirates snatched the title on goal difference."I did not expect to win so many awards because there were some good footballers in contention like Andile Jali of Orlando Pirates and Knowledge Musona and Jimmy Tau of Kaizer Chiefs," he admitted.
"This is a good way of saying goodbye to South African football even though I would have loved to win the championship. Collecting four awards is a nice consolation.
"My next goal is to break into the Ajax Amsterdam first team," said the star hoping to emulate compatriot Steven Pienaar, a midfielder who made his mark with the Dutch club before moving to Germany and England.
"My dream has come true. I plan to work hard and make an impact in the Netherlands, but first I must listen to the coaches and technical staff and learn how they play at Ajax."
Serero has signed a four-year contract and provided there are no hiccups during a late June medical examination in Amsterdam, will join his new team-mates on pre-season tours of China and Scotland.
Zimbabwe striker Knowledge Musona of Kaizer Chiefs, who missed the function at a Johannesburg theatre because he is training for a Cup of Nations qualifier against Mali, and Pirates midfielder Tlou Segolela received two awards each.
Musona was honoured for finishing leading league scorer with 15 goals—an average of one every two games—and being the best player in the League Cup, which his club won to prevent a Pirates clean sweep of trophies.
A mesmerising dribble from inside his own half against Free State Stars gave Segolela the league goal of the season award and the 'Usain Bolt' of local football also got the nod as best young player in the South African FA Cup.
Cameroon-born Bloemfontein Celtic goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb, Pirates midfielder Andile Jali, veteran Moroka Swallows striker Siyabonga Nomvete, Dutch coach Ruud Krol and referee Daniel Bennett completed the winners' list.
Award winners
Footballer of Year - Thulani Serero (Ajax Cape Town)
Championship
Player - Serero
Players' player - Serero
Young player - Serero
Goalkeeper - Patrick Tignyemb (Bloemfontein Celtic/CMR)
Leading scorer - Knowledge Musona (Kaizer Chiefs/ZIM)
Best goal - Tlou Segolela (Orlando Pirates)
Coach - Ruud Krol (Pirates/NED)
Referee - Daniel Bennett
FA Cup
Player - Andile Jali (Pirates)
Young player - Segolela
League Cup
Player - Musona
Top 8 Cup
Player - Siyabonga Nomvete (Moroka Swallows)
Note: Cup contested by top eight finishers in previous championship
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire