“He Can Compete With Anyone”: Gabriel Backs Richards Bay Star For PSL Award

Richards Bay co-coach Ronnie Gabriel believes young midfielder Lindokuhle Zikhali has put himself firmly in contention for the PSL Young Player of the Season award.

At this stage of the campaign, discussions are rife about the league’s top performers, including the prestigious PSL Footballer of the Season award.

While players like Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis are expected to contend for that honour at the end of the season, there has been less focus on the Young Player of the Season category.

However, 21-year-old Zikhali has been outstanding for Richards Bay this season. He has featured in 29 matches across all competitions, scoring two goals.

Those goals came against Magesi in September last year, the match they won, and a well-taken strike in a 2–2 draw against Orlando Pirates at home last month.

“Zikhali has been fantastic,” said Gabriel.

“I’m sure if you look at the numbers and the stats, he is up there with the best in the league.

“For the Young Player of the Season, he can compete with anyone on his day. He has shown his value to the squad and demonstrated that he belongs at this level.

“The good part is that he is improving every day—in training sessions and in games. You can see his game is growing and reaching different levels. We are happy so far, and if he gets that award, we would be very proud of him as a club.”

According to PSL criteria, a player must be aged 21 or under on the first day of the season (August 2025) to qualify for this specific category.

Zikhali should be considered for the award. He turned 21 last month, having been under 21 at the start of the 2025 season.

The current PSL Young Player of the Season is Mofokeng, who has won the award in two consecutive seasons.