(April 29,2005) WARRIORS midfielder Esrom Nyandoro has been named among the front-runners for the Kick-Off Footballer of the Year award, putting him in good stead to cap a memorable debut season in the South African Premiership. Nyandoro is the only Zimbabwean international to have been named among the shortlist of players whom the top selling South African magazine - Kick-Off - believe have been outstanding in the 2004-05 season. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder has been a consistent performer at the Brazilians since his move from Bulawayo outfit Amazulu before the start of the South African season last August. He also scored some important goals for the Chloorkop side, establishing himself as a key member in Sundowns' title aspirations.

Nyandoro has also been consistent for the Warriors where he has been a regular member of the senior national team in their 2006 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

But it is his showings in the blue and yellow of Mamelodi Sundowns that Kick-Off, which is a fortnightly publication, has named him among the top 12 performers in the period under review.

According to the Kick-Off web edition, their readers will choose the winner from the short-listed players and the voting process is expected to begin next week when the magazine's next edition goes on sale.

The voting process will also coincide with the final run-in for the South African Premiership title in which defending champions Kaizer Chiefs and their Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates lead the race.

But Sundowns, who face pathetic Wits University on Sunday, are also still within striking distance of the leading pack and Nyandoro and his teammates would still be hoping to reward the millions that owner Patrice Motsepe has invested into the club.

Nyandoro is not the only Sundowns player on the list of candidates, as he would have to compete against Ivorian midfielder Siake Tiene, who has also been a revelation at the Brazilians.

The list also includes Zambian striker and Chiefs hitman Collins Mbesuma, SuperSport United defender and captain Ricardo Katza, the Orlando Pirates pair of Benedict Vilakazi and Gift Leremi and Dynamos striker Sandile Ndlovu.

Interestingly, the Kick-Off Footballer of the Year award was one of two top individual accolades won by Nyandoro's Warriors teammate Tinashe Nengomasha.

Nengomasha was also voted the South African Footballer of the Year in a dream 2003-04 season but the former Black Aces and Motor Action midfielder has seemingly been overshadowed by Mbesuma despite having another good year at Amakhosi.

But it is Nyandoro who has really been outstanding for his team and even overshadowed his Warriors captain Peter Ndlovu on whom Sundowns spent a fortune to lure him to their base.

Despite being named among the front-runners for the award, Nyandoro, a humble character, yesterday remained modest about the prospects of being honoured in his first year in the league

"It is news to me that I am on the list of players being tipped to win.

"I understand they will eventually trim it and for me it will be a bonus to be among the top three because it is an honour already to be considered on the list of outstanding players in my first year here.

"I am still learning more about the South African game, even though it might not be necessarily better than ours but I think it is a matter of going places and learning new things all the time."

The award has been running since 1994 when Pirates' Marks Maponyane claimed the accolade while Nengomasha became only the third essentially defensive player to win it in its 10-year history.