Bafana Bafana striker Victor Letsoalo has capped a record-breaking 2021 COSAFA Cup campaign by winning the tournament's Golden Boot award, as well as the R20 000 cash prize that comes with it.
Letsoalo (28) marked his first international appearance for South Africa with a hat-trick on debut during the country's 4-0 group stage victory over Lesotho earlier this month, and has now walked away with the competition's Golden Boot award after scoring four times in total at the competition.
Scroll through the gallery to see the top goalscorers from the 2021 COSAFA Cup
The Bloemfontein Celtic star added to his treble against Likuena with a strike from the penalty spot against neighbours Mozambique in the semi-finals to get his hands on the Golden Boot award and, in the process, become the first South African player to claim the coveted prize outright.
Letsoalo's award earned him an R20 000 cash reward and caps a remarkable campaign for the former Baroka striker, whose tally saw him write his name into the history book's as South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer in the competition.
With four goals to his name, he broke the national team record of three goals which was previously shared between Pollen Ndlanya, Patrick Mayo, Katlego Mphela, Teko Modise, Gift Motupa and Lebohang Maboe.
His efforts inspired the nation to a first COSAFA Cup final since South Africa's triumphant 2016 campaign and, although he wasn't able to fire his name onto the team sheet once more, Bafana Bafana walked away as champions following a penalty shootout win over guest-nation Senegal.
He also departs the Nelson Mandela Bay as the first-ever player to score a hat-trick for Bafana Bafana at the COSAFA Cup – and only the second player overall after Benni McCarthy – and as the South African player with the most goals in a single edition of the competition.