Africa stars vote goes public

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
WITH Caf opening up selection of the continent’s 11 soccer stars to the public for the first time using a 3-4-3 tactical formation, Zimbabwe should probably adopt this criteria when selecting the country’s 11 finest players.

Adoption of the Caf system will help do away with the 2017 situation that saw no goalkeeper among the 11 stars for the first time since the selection process started in 1969, while three goalkeepers Tapuwa Kapini, Chenjerai Dube and Gift Muzadzi were named among the stars in 2001.

What made Zimbabwe’s selection even more intriguing this year is that the same panellists, consisting of coaches, captains and sports journalists, went on to vote for a goalkeeper of the year, despite feeling none deserved to be among the final 11.

If the panellists felt goalkeepers were not good enough to be among the 11 top players, then there should have been no specific award for a shining goalkeeper for the period under review.

With Caf opening votes for the continent’s 11 finest players based on the 3-4-3 tactical formation, the Premier Soccer League and sponsors might want to follow suit to avoid the selection fallacy of 2001 and 2017.

A 3-4-3 tactical formation will mean a goalkeeper, three defenders, four outstanding midfielders and three forwards will be selected, coming up with a balanced top 11. — @skhumoyo2000.