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Sibanda is also in the running for the Soccer Star of the Year where Dynamos’ Denver Mukamba and Sibanda’s teammate Masimba Mambare are the favourites.
Also set to be rewarded is the Referee of the Year and his two runners up as well as the Coach of the Year. Double winning coach Callisto Pasuwa and history making Highlanders’ Zambian coach Kelvin Kaindu are the favourties in that category.
Under Kaindu, Highlanders went for a record 23 league matches unbeaten, a record which was held by Southern African football giants Kaizer Chiefs who went 23 games unbeaten during the 1991 season.
While the identities of the other recipients are still hazy, Sibanda is almost certain.
Shabanie Mine’s Nelson Mazivisa, part of the Soccer Star of the Year finalists will grab the lethal boots award and with it a cool $3 000.
Mazivisa found the back of the net 18 times.
Sibanda was voted the Castle Lager Premiership Goalkeeper of the Month a record four times, becoming one of the two goalkeepers to win the monthly award more than once. The other is Nomore John of Harare City who won it in June and August.
Sibanda was the star goalkeeper in May, June, August and November.
According to the statistics, the goalkeeper of the year should have conceded the least number of goals while having played the most number of games. Dynamos’ George Chigova has the least number of goals in the premiership, having conceded just eight while Sibanda conceded 14 goals but that was after missing just a single game in the 30 game league. Chigova took over from Washington Arubi who left the Harare giants for South Africa’s Pretoria University.
The outgoing Soccer Star of the Year had played 12 games for DeMbare and let in seven goals leaving Chigova to be in goals in the remaining 18 games and in the process letting in eight goals for DeMbare’s 15 conceded goals in 2012.
For the 24-year-old Sibanda, he was in goals for 29 games, missing the Buffaloes match at Sakubva Stadium where his understudy Archford Katsande was preferred ahead of him.
In those 29 games Sibanda kept 19 clean sheets that will propel him to be among the country’s best that include, legendary Japhet Mparutsa, Chenjerai Dube, Tapuwa Kapini and Arubi among other great goalkeepers.
In an interview, the shy Sibanda said the award will cap a fine season for him and his teammates since he also played his first competitive match for the senior national team. He came in as a second half substitute for Kapini in the 3-1 first leg win Nations Cup qualifier against Angola before being given the full reins in the second leg which Zimbabwe lost 2-0 in Luanda.
“It will be a great honour indeed for me to win the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, I never really thought I could be among the best. My coaches did a good job,” said Sibanda.
Binga born former Masvingo United goalkeeper and coach Tembo Chuma is the Highlanders’ goalkeepers’ coach.
The Goalkeeper of the Year Award carries a $2 000 prize and this will be in addition to $1 000 that Sibanda will pocket for being selected among the 11 Soccer Stars of the Year finalists.
Meanwhile, Kwekwe-based Munyaradzi Majoni, Hardly Ndazi from Jambezi in Matabeleland North and 2011 Referee of the Year, Batsirayi Muchenje are among favourites for the Referee of the Year award.
Since Fifa called for specialisation of referees a few years back, concerns have been raised on who will award assistant referees (formerly linesmen) because bias seems to be towards the centre referees.
Referees are now expected to specialise in either being an assistant (linesman) or the main referee unlike in previous years where one could do both.
Online Reporter