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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ALOIS Bunjira’s call for the Premier Soccer League to withdraw this year’s Golden Boot Award has received widespread criticism from football fans and sports analysts with some calling it a case of sour grapes on his part since the leading contenders were not from his former club Caps United.
Bunjira said the league in withdrawing this year’s award, should add it to the one for next year so that players are motivated.
“Our leading goal scorer is on 12 goals from 28 matches, two games to go, am I wrong to suggest that the sponsors should withdraw the award and add it to the one for next year,” Bunjira posted on his Facebook wall.
“For example the 2015 top scorer should score at least 20 goals and if they fail the award and prize money should roll over to 2016 until we have a top scorer on 20 goals or more,” he said.
The Golden Boot Winner gets $1,500 and Highlanders’ Charles Sibanda is on course to become the 2014 lethal boot winner although he faces a stiff challenge from How Mine’s Kudakwashe Musharu.
But fans, reacting to the 1996 Golden Boot winner’s call, said Bunjira was misguided and driven by sour grapes, questioning why he did not make the same calls in the past where players have been top goalscorers with as little as 14 goals.
The Sunday Mail’s Makomborero Mutimukulu led the criticisms through his own Facebook wall;
“Excuse me, but Alois Bunjira is . . . at times. Why should we not have a Golden Boot Winner when the award is meant for a guy who has scored the most goals? The fact that the most goals are three, seven or 12 doesn’t matter. Whoever scores the most goals should be Golden Boot winner, simple isn’t it? Well it appears not to be to one Alois Bunjira. South Africa gave Bernard Parker the award for his 10 goals last season, what’s better now 10 or 12, come on!” said Mutimukulu.
However, Bunjira remained adamant.
“If your child comes out on first position despite getting Us, as a father do you celebrate and reward your kid? What would be wrong in telling your son that he won’t get a trip to Kariba or spending money if he doesn’t improve and pass his exams next time?”
In apparent response to Chronicle Sport’s comparison of local strikers’ goals and that of regional and international strikers, Bunjira said it was wrong to celebrate a poor performance simply because someone in another country had also perfomed below par.
“So if someone in Egypt fails and the same happens here we should celebrate simply because someone in Egypt failed? Passing and being number one are two different things. Anyway people have different opinions, I respect that. If you are comfortable with rewarding mediocrity, that’s it but I don’t agree with that. This argument that defenders have gotten better is just an excuse. The strikers are failing. I won’t mince my words about that, I will repeat, I suggest if the top scorer doesn’t score more than 15 goals, he must not get the full amount. The more the top scorer, scores, the more he gets, and there should be a minimum target otherwise he gets a token amount. That’s my story!”
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said the award was for the most number of goals.
“We can always negotiate with sponsors to have some inducement like in South Africa but for now, we are awarding the top goalscorer, regardless of the number of goals scored,” said Ndebele.
A football fan, Lovemore Chifamba, blasted Bunjira.
“Coming from an ex-footballer that has to be the dumbest suggestion l ever heard. It’s an award for one who scores more goals than any other player in a season. If 12 goals is the highest then so be it,” he said.
Washington Gumbo, also responding to Bunjira’s calls, said:
“If the leading scorer was from Caps United with 12 goals, you would not have thought of all this”.
Andrew Nyakuyu said the calls were a clear sign of jealousy on Bunjira’s part.
Few, however, felt Bunjira’s calls were genuine as they encouraged strikers to be hungrier for goals especially if an inducement is added.
“He has a point yes, but the award is for the top goalscorer not the number of goals scored,” said Tinashe Mutandwa.
In South Africa the league set a target of 26 goals plus which goes with a cheque of 100,000 rand but no one has been able to claim the prize in the last 10 years.
The closest to reach the target was Zambian Collins Mbesuma who hit the nets 25 times in the 2003/4 season.
Last season, Kaizer Chiefs’ Bernard Parker was the top marksman with a paltry 10 goals, confirming that the problem is not unique to Zimbabwe only but probably throughout Africa.
In Zambia, their reigning Golden Boot winner, Nkana’s Ronald Sate Sate Kampamba scored 18 goals last season.
Last season, Tendai Ndoro grabbed the award with 18 goals, the same number scored by the 2012 winner Nelson Maziwisa in 2012.
In Europe’s major leagues like the Barclays Premiership and La Liga in Spain, their leading marksmen, Sergio Aguero for Manchester City and Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid have already scored 10 and 17 goals respectively with just 10 matches into the season.
Online Reporter