Brazilian Ribeiro steals show at South African football awards

Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro received four trophies, including player of the season, at the annual South African football awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

A clean sweep for Ribeiro saw him win the player of the season, voted by the 16 top-flight coaches, players' player of the season, goal of the season and leading league scorer awards.

These honours come after the goal scored by the 26-year-old Mamelodi Sundowns striker against Borussia Dortmund was voted the best of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.

Other foreigners to win awards were Zimbabwe goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze from shock League Cup winners Magesi and Miguel Cardoso, the Portuguese coach of champions Sundowns.

Nigeria’s Shooting Stars

Meanwhile in Nigeria, Nurudeen Aweroro has replaced Gbenga Ogunbote as coach of success-starved club Shooting Stars in a one-year deal.

Based in Ibadan, 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of commercial capital Lagos, Stars finished eighth last season in the 20-club national championship.

Stars last won the Nigerian league 27 years ago and have not lifted the Federation Cup since 1995.

Elsewhere in Tanzania, Romain Folz became the third new coach among the top four Tanzanian clubs when named successor to Algerian Miloud Hamdi at champions Young Africans.

Hamdi has moved to fallen Egyptian giants Ismaily, opening the door for the 35-year-old from Bordeaux to take charge of the record 26-time national champions.

After assistant coaching positions in Egypt and Ghana, Folz has been head coach of clubs in Ghana (two), Botswana, South Africa (two) and Guinea.