Former Premier Soccer League Awards convenor Farouk Khan has weighed in on the debate that has emanated from the exclusion of Patrick Maswanganyi from the Footballer of the Season nominees list.
On Friday, the PSL announced the nominees for their 2023/24 Season award ceremony, with the biggest shock the absence of Orlando Pirates fan-favorite Maswanganyi.
Instead, Teboho Mokoena, Iqraam Rayners and Ronwen Williams are the three players vying for this season's most sought-after individual award.
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"I wouldn't say I'm disappointed, but I think with the balance of his performance he could have been considered," Khan tells KickOff.
"It's his first season at a club like Orlando Pirates. I was very surprised the other day seeing him in front of the grandstand and the fans were singing, 'Tito!Tito!Tito!'
"So, he's had a huge impact at Orlando Pirates. For example, he had a big influence on the team against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby. On the back of all that, I think it would have been fair for him to be one of the candidates," adds Khan.
He, however, calls for the democracy that comes with the voting process to be respected.
"This is done by voting, and because of that, you have to allow democracy to prevail. This is how awards are done all over the world. I think it's the coaches who choose the Player [Footballer] of the Season.
"You've got to accept what the majority believes is the case. I've had the pleasure of being the convener of the awards for many, many years, and if I had a casting vote, Maswanganyi would be one of the players in the nominees.
"I'm not saying he should be the Player of the Season, but he should be one of the candidates."
Asked if this says a lot about how PSL coaches rate the Pirates star, the Stars of Africa Academy director said it was difficult to ascertain.
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"It's always difficult to tell of other people's opinion. When it comes to football, it's just not possible. Mokoena and Rayners are good candidates as well, I wouldn't leave them out."
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