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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FOOTBALL fans say they want selectors for Soccer Star of the Year to pay attention to consistency and not reward one-game wonders.
Football journalists meet in Harare today to pick the country’s 11 most outstanding players, referee and coach.
But no-one expects any past-name to win it this time – demonstrating the gap in quality between today’s youngsters and yesteryear legends like George Shaya who won it a record five times and the likes of Joel Shambo, Stix M’tizwa, Sunday Chidzambwa, Stanley Ndunduma and Madinda Ndlovu who were part of the top 11 for at least seven seasons.
In recent years, players selected have turned out to be ordinary the very next season with even those winning the Soccer Star award becoming a pale shadow of themselves.
Last year’s winner Denver Mukamba failed to command a regular first team jersey at his South African side Wits University. Of the class of last year, only Chicken Inn’s Kudakwashe Mahachi has a realistic chance of being selected again this year as the rest of the players really did not shine as expected.
Reigning Goalkeeper of the Year Ariel Sibanda was relegated to the bench at Highlanders. The two runners-up to Mukamba – Masimba Mambare and Ronald Chitiyo – blew hot and cold.
In interviews, a number of football fans and experts said they would love to see those selected among the best in the country year in year out staying at the top for a number of years. They said it was disappointing in some instances to see top players forgotten within months whereas those of yesteryear are still subject of debate even to this day.
Some blamed it on the selection panel while others felt there is no more talent coming through the ranks to stay the course.
“It’s a worrying factor to see players that are not lasting long in the game. It could be a question of quality or the selection panel.
“There is need to focus on technical ability more than home town or preferred team options. It’s really a challenge to selectors to change that,” said Faith Dube, a football critic.
Ephraim Chawanda, a football legend, himself a former Soccer Star of the Year, said today’s youngsters seem to lack self discipline and dedication which heavily works against them.
He believes teams have also adopted a win-win attitude at all cost at the expense of nurturing talent among the youngsters.
“I believe soccer stars are born out of negative and positive criticism; of self and team discipline, of dedication and outstanding commitment and performance which I think is blurred or lacking in most of our youngsters as some institutions have adopted anarchist policies which interfere with fair play or progress in our football,” said the former Zimbabwe Saints and Zimbabwe star.
During their day, they were pushed by dedication to their teams and supporters which spurred them to do even better.
“We played football to be winners and at the end of the day, we accepted our mistakes or losses, with the aim of overcoming them in the next outing,” said Chawanda.
Ernest Maphepha Sibanda, a former Highlanders player, manager and chairman attributed the trend on the failure by the players to see beyond today.
“These boys easily get carried away, they become too big-headed which at the end of the day spoils their future.
“You find a boy scoring against a giant like Highlanders or Dynamos and the following day he is all over town boasting about it, it becomes worse if they are selected to the prestigious calendar to be among the best,” said the championship winning manager and chairman.
He described the declining standards as very sad and urged players who will be selected today to be level-headed and everything else will fall into place for them.
Football expert and former Hwange administrator Charles Nyala concurred with Maphepha on players becoming too big headed after being selected.
“I’ve confidence in the selectors because I think they really try their best to select the best players. The problem is the players themselves, they become too big headed and fail to contain the excitement the whole year. It’s also the level of maturity on the part of the players as well,” said Nyala.
Online Reporter