Tshabalala was unable to attend the event to personally collect the award as he was in camp with the Amakhosi ahead of Saturday’s Telkom Knockout Cup Final against Orlando Pirates.

Speaking to kaizerchiefs.com and of being named the SAFA player of the year said, “it is fantastic for me to have been given this award it is really humbling.

This year has been one of mixed emotion for me after the joy of the World Cup, even though I have had some personal setbacks 2010 has been a great year and getting this wonderful news before a major Cup final is highly motivational.”

Shabba who scored the opening goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Bafana Bafana against Mexico on June 10 is hoping to take his award and hopefully along with it a Telkom Knockout Cup winners medal to the bedside of his mother Rebecca who has been in a coma for the past six days.

“My mother did many things in my life for me and she shaped me into the person I am when I was young she sacrificed a lot to me help me along my way and I will give everything I have to make sure that we win the cup final so that I can take the SAFA player of the year award and a Telkom Knockout Cup winner’s medal to the hospital, hopefully I get to score a goal or more for her in the final.”

Shabba also had a message for his Amakhosi and National team colleagues as well as his legions of fans, “I want to thank my teammates and support staff at Chiefs and the national team. I do not play an individual sport I am in a team environment and if it was not for them I would not have achieved the success that I have.

To the fans thanks for sticking by me and pushing me on over the last year that was and with your help and support there have been happy day’s form me in 2010.”

Tshabalala is also amongst the nominees for the FIFA Ferenc Puskas 2010 Goal of the year award and he will know on the 10th of January 2011 if his goal during the World Cup opening game against Mexico has been voted as the best goal this year.