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Fungai Muderere
A PANEL of journalists, club coaches and captains are set to select the 11 best players of the season on 27 November after the 2024 Castle Lager Premier League concludes with the crowning of champions Simba Bhora at Nyamhunga Stadium this weekend.
The process by the panellists will be done virtually and the crowning ceremony is reportedly set for 6 December.
History-making Simba Bhora are expected to provide the bulk of the players on the soccer stars calendar, as has been the trend in recent seasons.
With 16 goals under his belt, Highlanders’ Lynoth Chikuhwa, Warriors team returnee Khama Billiat, Simba Bhora’s duo of Walter Musona and Tymon Machope, William Manondo (CAPS United), Chicken Inn goalkeeper Donovan Bernard, Takunda Bhenhura and Richard Hachiro (Ngezi Platinum) are some of the players who are, in a number of circles deemed to have done well for their respective clubs.
League champions have provided three players on the calendar in the last two seasons.
When FC Platinum won the 2021/ 2022 title, their fourth in a row, they had Walter Musona, Gift Bello and Wallace Magalane.
Ngezi Platinum Stars were the 2023 champions and they provided Qadr Amini, Benhura and Nelson Chadya.
The trend could spill into 2024, with Simba Bhora expected to provide at least three players. Their back-three of Blessing
“Bisto” Moyo, Webster Tafa and Isheanesu Mauchi was the backbone of their historic campaign.
The 29-year-old Moyo has never been on the soccer stars calendar since 2012 when he made his Premiership bow with Dynamos, but that jinx could be broken this year, as he is one of the hot favourites.
Tafa played in all of Simba Bhora’s 33 league matches and the former Mushowani Stars man has a strong chance of challenging teammate Walter Musona for the Soccer Star of the Year award.
The 21-year-old Mauchi, a former national team volleyball player, was a revelation for Simba Bhora in the season and has caught the eye of national team selectors.
Eleven goals and several assists, lanky striker Machope also has a chance. Just like Simba Bhora’s Moyo, Dynamos’ vice captain Emmanuel Jalai has been unlucky with the calendar and so has been FC Platinum’s Brian Banda.
But the duo of Jalai and Banda are heavily tipped to make it onto this year’s calendar. ZPC Kariba have the best defence in the league so far, having conceded 18 times in 33 matches.
The league’s top scorer and Highlanders’ talisman Lynoth Chikuhwa could be among the top three after a stellar season for Bosso.
Chikuhwa leads the Golden Boot race, three goals ahead of Yadah Stars’ Billiat, who is also heavily tipped to be among the top three.
Juan Mutudza (FC Platinum), Farai Banda (Manica Diamonds), Godknows Murwira and Kingsley. Bernard has 19 clean sheets, two more than Chadya, but the two keepers could make it among the Best XI.
Should Chadya make it, he will have done so three times in a row. Last year, Amini was crowned Soccer Star of the Year and he pocketed US$7 500 for winning the Saward. Dynamos midfielder Donald Mudadi, who finished as the first runner-up, received US$4 500, and Bulawayo Chiefs striker Obriel Chirinda, who was the second runner-up walked away with US$3 750.
Ngezi Platinum Stars coach, Takesure Chiragwi, received the Coach of the Year award, for the first time. Benhura won the Top Goal Scorer award after scoring 13 goals in his first full season. He received US$ 6,375.
Online Reporter