adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MAVERICK Zimbabwe soccer legend Moses “Bambo” Chunga thinks that the yardstick of six yellow cards and two red cards which is used to disqualify some players from the soccer stars of the year selection is not only unfair, but also denies selectors from coming up with the real 11 best players of the season. According to rules and regulations governing the selection of the 11 best players of the domestic Castle Lager Premiership season, a player who received six yellow cards or two red cards is not eligible for selection.
After a brilliant and consistent performance throughout the season, some players, even Chunga himself during his heyday, were denied the chance to be on the list of 11 season’s best players over the years owing to the diabolical stipulation that a player should not accrue six yellow cards or two red cards.
This year, ZPC’s Pride Tafirenyika, who had an outstanding season, could have easily made it into the list of the best 11 of the season, but was ineligible for picking up more than six yellow cards and so was Dynamos loyalist, Murare Murape.
Dynamos defender Themba Ndlovu as been consistent at the heart of defence since his days at Motor Action and even when he moved to Buffaloes, but the steely defender could not be counted among the season’s best 11 until this year simply because he received six yellow cards or two red cards in one season.
The list is endless!
Interestingly, a cursory research on the selection of the world’s best player – the Fifa Ballon d’Or award – revealed that the number of yellow cards and red cards that a player receives in a season have nothing to do with a players’ eligibility to be selected as the winner.
In fact, the rules and regulations followed in the selection of the Ballon d’Or winner clearly state that only ‘the performance on the pitch’ matters unless the player has been sanctioned by Fifa, like in the case of former Liverpool star Lois Suarez.
Nonetheless, Buffaloes coach, Chunga lambasted the criterion, saying it could be only in Zimbabwe that players are denied the chance to be part of the prestigious list owing to the number of yellow cards or red cards they get in a season.
“I think it is high time the sponsors and the administrators changed the way they do things with regards the selection of the best 11 players of the season.
“It is unheard of for a player to be disqualified simply because they have received six yellow cards or two red cards. The selection must only be done judging by the players’ performance on the field of play and not the red or yellow cards he got. To me it does not really make sense,” he said.
The legendary former Warriors skipper said some positions on the field of play demand that a player get into some tackles thereby placing them at risk of getting red or yellow cards.
Chunga said he was actually angry with his defensive midfielder, Tafadzwa Mombeshora, for getting only three yellow cards given the physical demands of the position he plays.
“You really cannot expect an effective anchorman to get less than six yellow cards throughout the season simply because of the demands of that particular position.
“You have your own Willard Katsande who is now referred to as The General, by some, because of the physical game he is playing that resonates well with the position he is playing.
“I am actually not happy that my defence link, Tafadzwa Mombeshora, got only three yellow cards throughout the season yet he was a regular starter. Are you telling me that a player should now be scared to get into some tackles simply because they want to be selected as one of the soccer starts of the year finalists? That is utter rubbish,” fumed Chunga.
This year, debutants ZPC Kariba provided the bulk of the players in the final 11 after a soccer star of the year selection held by a panel of sports journalists, club captains and coaches in Harare last Saturday.
The debutants, who had the chance to be crowned the league champions when the selection was done, got three players on the list and now stand as firm favourites to provide the soccer star or the first runner-up.
Defender Dennis Dauda, Limited Chikafa and goalkeeper Tendai Hove were selected on the list, while Tafirenyika was disqualified owing to the number of yellow cards he got.
Veteran Dynamos defensive link-man Stephen Alimenda and Themba Ndlovu came from Dynamos while CAPS United have one player in Tendai Samanja.
The coach of the year was also selected, but the name will remain a guarded secret until the banquet night when the top soccer star and his runners-up will be announced.
But it is likely that ZPC Kariba coach, Saul Chaminuka will land the accolade while the rookie of the year could see Blessing Moyo of Dynamos or FC Platinum’s’ Wisdom Mutasa taking over from Ronald Pfumbidzai of CAPS.
Soccer Stars 11 finalists:
Stephen Alimenda (Dynamos), Themba Ndlovu (Dynamos), Dennis Daudi (ZPC Kariba),Tendai Hove (ZPC Kariba), Limited Chikafa (ZPC Kariba), Thabani Kamusoko (FC Platinum), David Kutyauripo (Harare City), Charles Sibanda (Highlanders), Kuda Musharu (How Mine), Tendai Samanja (CAPS United) and Evans Rusike (Hwange).
Online Reporter