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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
RED-HOT Manica Diamonds striker Fortune Binzi has become the first player to win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s Player of the Month for three consecutive months after bagging all the accolades between March and May.
But he could be the luckiest man to do so as he played only 49 minutes in Manica Diamonds’ 270 minutes for the month of March where the only goal scored by the Mutare team came via the boot of Liberty Chakoroma in a 1-1 draw against Herentals.
The former Yadah midfielder didn’t contribute anything positive in the final third as the Jairos Tapera’s team suffered a 2-0 defeat in their opening match against CAPS United, played a goalless draw at Triangle before concluding the month with that 1-1 draw against Herentals in a match Binzi was introduced 18 minutes from time, well after Chakoroma had opened the scoring for the visitors.
It was the same month that CAPS United goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga made the headlines for saving the Green Machine in the game against Manica Diamonds and in the goalless draw at Ngezi Platinum Stars.
It was also the same month that Hwange forward Brighton Makopa was in devastating form scoring three goals in two matches.
It was the same month that Dynamos winger Tendai Matindife contributed four assists as the Glamour Boys showed their mettle.
It was the same month that Highlanders defender Peter Muduhwa stood tall, just like he continues to do, at the heart of Bosso defence and ensured they never tasted defeat.
But that the votes for both the player and coach of the month for the past three months had to be conducted last week could have had an effect on the selection patterns for the panel.
All the same, Binzi has been the most prolific attacker in the league after netting eight times and carrying his club, which started the season on a low note, to within just four points of leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars after 12 rounds of matches.
And the record could be very difficult to break given form is something which is temporary.
Binzi has to give it to his mentor Jairos Tapera who converted him from a deep midfield role into an outright forward position.
He attributed his success story over the past three months to Tapera and his teammates.
“Without my teammates and the technical team which have invested their faith in me, certainly we wouldn’t have been talking about this achievement,” said Binzi.
“I am very happy to win these great prizes”.
While a lot of eyebrows have been raised over Binzi’s Match candidature for the ultimate prize, there is no doubting his selection for the April gong after helping the miners to three wins including two rampant victories over ZPC Kariba (3-0) and Black Rhinos (4-0).
He was also the chief architect in Manica Diamonds’ heroic comeback from a 2-0 down to 2-2 against FC Platinum, scoring both goals at the beginning of May.
Diamonds would win one match in the month of May, a 2-0 win over Chicken Inn while drawing another game against Dynamos (0-0) and losing 1-0 to Yadah.
But Binzi still won the gong for May although Ngezi Platinum’s Takunda Benhura appeared to be the favourite for the prize.
The debate on whether Binzi deserves all the prizes for the past three months will rage on but his record is likely to stand for a long time to come and he should celebrate.
Online Reporter