Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE 2025 Premier Soccer League Golden Boot race has turned into a thrilling sprint to the finish.
With just 10 matches remaining, TelOne’s Washington Navaya and MWOS striker Billy Veremu are neck and neck on 11 goals apiece, both chasing not only the top scorer’s crown but also Lynoth Chikuhwa’s 17-goal benchmark from last season.
Navaya, the early-season pace-setter, looked unstoppable in the opening months. He scored in each of his first five matches, then netted a brace against Manica Diamonds to take his tally to seven goals in just seven games.
His blistering start made a statement — the 31-year-old was f ar from finished and hungry for the one honour missing from his PSL career.
But football rarely follows a predictable script. Since match day 20, Navaya has failed to find the back of the net, and the gap he had carefully built has now disappeared.
Enter Veremu. The MWOS forward started slowly, but his mid-season surge was relentless, turning the race into a head-to-head showdown. Steadily, he reeled Navaya in until the two were level, now separated only by the fine margins of form, confidence and composure.
The statistics tell their own story. Both players average 0,48 goals per game.
To surpass Chikuhwa’s record, each needs at least six more goals before the season ends — meaning they must score in every other game, a tough ask in a league where defenders have become increasingly organised and ruthless.
For Navaya, the pressure serves as motivation.
“We’re counting down to the finish, and that pushes you to give more,” he said. “I believe I can still do it.”
Veremu is equally determined.
“It won’t be easy, but as someone chasing a record, I believe in the remaining games I can work some magic,” he said, with a smile that barely conceals the weight of expectation.
Former Warriors captain Moses Chunga has expressed doubts about their chances of surpassing Chikuhwa’s tally, pointing to deeper issues within Zimbabwean football.
“At this rate, they may not get there,” Chunga said. “We’re not producing enough clinical finishers because player development skips key stages. We take shortcuts.”
Chunga believes striker development must return to fundamentals — six key stages from initiation and technical mastery to tactical awareness and mental resilience.
“Zimbabwe has the talent,” he said, “but without proper development, many promising players end up average. One year they’re fighting for the Golden Boot, the next they’ve disappeared from the charts.”
Analyst Desmond Mhene, has introduced a wildcard into the mix: Simba Bhora’s Namibian striker, Isaskar Gurirab. With eight goals and a knack for explosive bursts, he could yet turn the two-man race into a three-way battle.
“If Gurirab hits a purple patch, anything is possible,” Mhene said. “If Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya had stayed at FC Platinum, he’d be in this race too. But generally, 20 goals in our league is rare with the calibre of defenders now.”
That defending — disciplined lines, tactical pressing and physicality — is part of the challenge. Mhene notes that modern strikers are judged on more than just goals.
“They work closely with analysts and specialist coaches, learning the ideal number of touches before shooting, identifying production zones, everything down to where they receive the ball in the box,” he explained. “It’s science now, but our clubs need to adopt it fully.”
For now, the science is simple: the next goal in this race could be the one that wins it. Ten matches. Two men. One prize. And perhaps, if they’re clinical enough, a new record to write into PSL history
What nonsensical analysis from Mhene. Listen to Bambo. Our football has gone to the dogs. There is no development to talk about anymore hence we have over 30 year olds being considered as the best players in the league today. It has nothing to do with science or improved defending skills. There is nothing scientific about playing football. It’s exactly the same way Edward Katsvere used to play. The only difference is the likes of Eddie Katsvere, Moses Chunga, Joel Shambo, Stix Mutizwa, Michael Abraham, Joseph Zulu, Peter Ndlovu and others of that time were extremely talented and played to win unlike the mercenary type of players we have to day who play for money. Money has destroyed our football.