Orlando Pirates' Lorch voted top South African footballer
Orlando Pirates midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch was named South African Footballer of the Season on Sunday at an awards ceremony in Durban.
The 25-year-old international beat two midfielders from champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane, in a vote among the 16 top-flight league coaches.
Lorch, who also won the Players' Player of the Season award, was overcome by shyness after receiving the trophies, limiting his acceptance speech to one sentence.
"Pirates' players deserve these awards -- I accept them on their behalf," said a star set to be part of the South Africa squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month.
Pirates finished runners-up in the league behind Sundowns for the second successive season, and were beaten finalists in the League Cup.
Dutch goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh was voted the best player in one of the three annual cup competitions, the MTN8, after helping Cape Town City win it.