Dominant Mamelodi Sundowns are revelling in pride following a massive cumulation of accolades at the inaugural COSAFA Awards on Thursday night at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Four of Masandawana’s very own, Coach Rulani, Andile Dlamini, Ronwen Williams and Thapelo Maseko, who excelled in 2023, were honoured at the prestigious awards, which the Brazilians dominated.
Coach Rulani Mokwena was named Coach of the Year. This comes in the same week he was named Coach of the Month at the DStv Premiership Monthly Awards. The Johannesburg-born tactician cemented his name in the pantheon of prominent African coaches when he famously guided his side to glory in the inaugural African Football League. Furthermore, he won 45 games in all competitions in the year 2023.
Thanks to the safest hands in Africa, shot stoppers, Andile Dlamini and Ronwen Williams were respectively named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. In September 2023, the Ladies team won the COASAFA Women’s Champions League and Dlamini was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament. Banyana Ba Style went on to win at the CAF Women’s Champions in November 2023, where Dlamini grabbed the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. She was also named in the Team of the Tournament.
Williams’ impressive run as the Brazilian’s number one saw him walk away with the Goalkeeper of the Tournament accolade in the African Football League. He was also named Goalkeeper of the Season in the topflight for the 2022/23 season. Furthermore, as the captain of Bafana Bafana, he led his side into qualifying for the African Cup of Nations where the national team finished third.
Maseko was not left out of the celebrations as he was named Men’s Most Promising Player, on Thursday night. His scintillating form has seen him lift his first trophy with Masandawana at the very first African Football League. He played a fundamental role in helping his side lift the silverware, which earned him the Best Player and Top Goalscorer of the Tournament. His outstanding performances saw him receive a call-up and helped Bafana Bafana soar to third place in the AFCON.
The Yellow Nation would like to congratulate the quartet for the accolades which they deservedly earned!!