Willard Katsande walks away with R230,000

WHEN ONE door closes, another one opens, the saying goes. This was the case with Kaizer Chiefs' hard-tackling midfielder, Willard Katsande.

The Zimbabwean international was one of the nominees at the 2013-14 Absa Premiership end-of-the-season awards held at Sandton Convention Centre last week but left empty-handed.

Just four days later, he was back in the spotlight when Amakhosi rewarded their players for their efforts. This time he was not overlooked. He scored big at the Kaizer Chiefs Awards on Wednesday.

Katsande, who has been accused of rough-and-tumble play characterised by frequent yellow cards, was named the Amakhosi Players' Player of the Season, Online Player of the Season, Fan Player of the Season, Player of the Season and May Player of the Month.

"Salt and Vinegar" earned R230 000 in prize money and a brand-new sponsored Nissan 37OZ car.

"Firstly I would like to thank God for the talent that made this possible. The coach, Stuart Baxter, also helped me a lot since he arrived. "Despite all the criticism he gave me a chance, and I took it with both hands," Katsande said.

"I am happy that I was able to repay him for the faith he has shown in me by performing well. I have played my best football this season since coming to South Africa - although there is room for improvement.

"The other thing that made life easier is the support I had from everybody in the team, including the supporters. They kept encouraging me and I listened to everybody's advice in the team.

"However, my accomplishment is now water under the bridge. I am looking forward to the new season, to improved performances. There is no time to relax. I will continue working hard," the Zimbabwean added.