At the start of the season Kaizer Motaung Junior would not have expected himself to be in line to win the coveted PSL Player of the Season award and the 25-year-old striker was pleasantly surprised earlier this week when he learnt that he was one of three players nominated to win the award.

Kaizer Junior along with the Sundowns midfielders pairing Surprise Moriri and Godfrey Sapula, were confirmed by the league as the finalists for 2006-2007 Player of the season award when the PSL hosts its annual awards ceremony on the 23rd May.

With the award comes a R100 000 prize purse a rewarding bonus for the eventual winner, the man who with his sublime skills and nifty footwork offered the best entertainment value through out the season.

While Kaizer Junior did mention at Tuesday’s announcement that he was just happy to make up the number, there is a feeling in many quarters that he could well be crowned king of the PSL in a week’s time. Kaizerchiefs.com caught up with the deadly striker and got his thoughts first hand on his nomination, as well as general impressions on the 2006-2007 season which is due to conclude this coming weekend.

KC.COM: Kaizer congratulations on your nomination for the 2006-2007 PSL Player of the year award. It is a well-deserved nomination, was it part of your plan at the start of the season to aim for this coveted award?

KM: My aim when the season got under way was to fight for a place in the team, getting to be part of the starting eleven on a regular basis was my first objective thankfully I got that right from the beginning. Obviously once I had found my way into the team I needed to keep my place and the only way I could do that was by playing at my best in every game. Naturally because I am a striker the coach wants me to score goals, getting to work my way on the score sheet from the first day of the season made my job easier. To really answer your question it was not part of my plan to play to win any awards, it did surprise me to see that I was nominated along with Godfrey Sapula and Surprise Moriri.

KC.COM: Your goal scoring exploits have won you a number of admirers this season; talk us through the goal you would rate as your best strike of the season?

KM: With out a doubt I would have to say that my goal late in the game against Cosmos back in September would have to rank in my opinion as my personal favourite. I was in a difficult position and I did not have a lot of time to think and looking at it in the context of the game we were trailing 2-1 at the time, I gave all I had and when it went past the keeper I it was as though I had been able to high tail over some type of obstacle that was in my way.

KC.COM: Which goal would you say was perhaps your luckiest goal that you scored this season?

KM: Without a doubt my goal against Wits, the ball bobbed around and it eventually fell kindly for me and all I had to was tuck it away. You the thing is you need the lucky break now and again and I got one against Wits, when the ball got to me there was only one thing I could do and that was score as it would have been harder to have missed that chance.

KC.COM: Share with us some of your more memorable moments of the season?

KM: Top of my list has to be my two hat tricks some times scoring one in a season is an achievement but getting two is something very special, the second hat trick demonstrated to me that the first was not a fluke and that hopefully in the future and with the help of my team mates I could score more hat tricks in the future.

KC.COM: Your disappointments from the season?

KM: The most disappointing times for me have been when we got knocked out of the cup competitions, more than anything else those have been the most depressing times in the season. When Stars defeated us in the Telkom Cup I just could not take it I really believed that we should have gone all the way and won the trophy, losing to Golden Arrows in the ABSA Cup Round of 32 was more depressing. We were the defending champions and I felt that we did not put up enough of a fight to hold on to our title. Added to that would be when I got injured at the start of April against Swallows, it meant that I had to miss the last couple of games of the season that has hampered me in my bid to catch Chris Katongo’s 15 goals.

KC.COM: Lastly back to the PSL Player of the season award, how good do you think your chances of winning it are?

KM: It is really hard to say because I am up against two very accomplished players, both of whom have really excelled during the season and they have been at the forefront of Sundowns winning the league and reaching the ABSA Cup Final. I am obviously hoping and wishing that I win the title, I hope that those who will be making the decision will vote in my favour.