Nelspruit Manchester’s Sam Zunguza became the top guy last Saturday by winning more than one of the team’s lucrative awards.

Zunguza rose at the team’s awards ceremony held at the team owner’s house in Phiva and was also named the free-kick specialist after becom-ing the team’s top goal scorer scoring 25 goals by free-kicks through out the 2009/2010 season.

The awards were part of the team’s celebration for advancing after the cur-rent owner Mr. Manline Khoza who bought the team ducking from the bot- tom of the Vodacom league. With the new management and a new coach by a name of William “Tiger” Thompson the team managed to end in the 6th position of the log, which is a great achievement since the Vodacom league is tough.

Speaking in the ceremony Khoza thanked his coach and the entire tech- nical team, mostly the players, for pulling the team from the disappoint- ing 15th position to this far. He also disclosed that the team has chosen to come back to Nkomazi.

“I am the owner of the team and I stay in Nkomazi. Therefore the team’s home ground will be in one of the Nk-omazi stadiums next season,” said Khoza.

He also introduced a buss that will be used by the team’s fans to watch their games. Sam Zunguza was named the team’s player of the year and was also given an amount of R3 000.

Player’s player of the year went to Junior Nyathi and the golden boot of being the top goal scorer went to Sam Zunguza. Zunguza, who surprised ev- eryone by scoring 25 goals which were all free-kicks.

The team owner Mr. Khoza named him the free-kick specialist. Chali Ntu- li was awarded the most disciplined player and Tsepo Burnside was name the most improved player.

The function ended with a handover of soccer jerseys to three teams. Man- gweni Manchester who gave their play-ers to Khoza’s team, Steenbok Classic for winning the Likhono and Shuma R20 000 tournament that was staged by Khoza’s construction company, and Mdladla Arrows who were spotted by Khoza wearing torn soccer kits.

Everyone was happy and Khoza also urged the players to make his dream of seeing the team campaigning at Mve-la Golden league come true. Manline Khoza is an owner of both Phiva

Young Stars and Nelspruit Manchester. Khoza urged Nkomazi teams to sendtheir promising players for trials as they can be recruited to play for the only Nkomazi teams campaigning in the Vodacom league.

He is also paying players for playing. Khoza further disclosed that they are educating players who did not fnish school, but are willing to learn.

“As the term of football is very short, we also send our players to school so that they can be educated and manage to feed themselves once their football career is over,” said Khoza.