Who is soccer star of the year?

Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
FOR the past two seasons, Dynamos have provided the man who was crowned the Soccer Star of the Year and the question now is — will it be another Glamour Boy tonight when Zimbabwe honours its best home-based footballer? Tonight, the best player in the domestic Premiership will be crowned at a colourful banquet and one of the 11 players, in the running for the award, will join illustrious company.

Some people feel that yesteryear stars were real gems, in a class of their own who illuminated the domestic football scene, and were full value for the awards they won as Soccer Stars of the Year.

But while it is acceptable that standards have gone down, there has to be a winner.
In 2012, Dynamos’ Washington Arubi stood head and shoulders above the rest and is now plying his trade across the Limpopo with University of Pretoria.

Last year, Denver Mukamba was voted best player after beating stiff challenge from Highlanders’ Masimba Mambare, who came second, and Ronald Chitiyo who was third.

Last month a panel of football writers and coaches met in Harare and came up with 11 players who are the finalists for the 2013 Soccer Stars of the Year and now their king awaits the crowning moment.

It looks like the player who will be announced as winner today has fought a close battle, just like the riveting Castle Lager Premiership photo-finish that saw DeMbare being crowned champions on the final day of the season.

Among those standing on firm ground to take over from Mukamba is Harare City and Warriors midfielder Silas Songani.
Songani was the heartbeat of the Harare City team and the Sunshine Boys still believe that his absence on the final game against CAPS United dealt a fatal blow to their title aspirations.

The winner will take home pick US$5 000.
But if Songani fails to land the top prize, he could settle for one of the runner-up slots while Tendai Ndoro, who finished as the Golden Boot Award winner, could be crowned Soccer Star of the Year.

Already Ndoro, who has since joined Mpumalanga Black Aces, is assured of getting US$3 000 after ending the season as the top goal scorer and is now crossing his fingers that another US$5 000 could be on its way.

The Glamour Boys camp are hoping that the Soccer Star of the Year remains a DeMbare player and chances are also bright that vice-captain Tawanda Muparati could succeed Mukamba.

But there is also a dark horse in goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, who had his best season in the Premiership, and could join Japhet Muparutsa, Energy Murambadoro and Arubi who won the award playing the number one position.

There was no doubt that Chicken Inn’s Kuda Mahachi had an outstanding season and could upset the front-runners while Eric Chipeta from Hwange also received kudos from a number of panelists.

Just like in the past, the best players find themselves not in the running for a number of reasons.
Bruce Kangwa, the roving Bosso leftback, would have been odds-on favourite for the Soccer Star of the Year had he not been elbowed by rules that say a footballer who gets six yellow cards, or more, becomes ineligible.

Dynamos defender, Partson Jaure, would have been a good choice for Soccer Star of the Year until his disciplinary case was fast-tracked on the eve of the selection, with the decision announced to the voting panel before it had been communicated to the player, and he was eliminated from the running.

Jaure was banned for seven games for charging at a referee during the Battle of Zimbabwe showdown at Barbourfields.
At the same ceremony tonight, the Rookie of the Year will also be unveiled and CAPS United leftback Ronald Pfumbidzai is the among the top dogs.

The Young Warriors skipper faces competition from Monomotapa’s Praise Tonha while Black Rhinos goalkeeper Herbert Rusawo and George Chigova are tipped for the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade, based on the statics complied during the season.

Champions Dynamos, who racked in over US$60 000 in fines and second-placed Highlanders who accrued US$26 000 ,can as well forget dreaming about being the Most Disciplined Team.

However, Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa, Highlanders’ Kelvin Kaindu and Harare City’s Bigboy Mawiwi are hoping to land the Coach of the Year award.

Soccer Star of the Year Finalists
Munyaradzi Diya ( Highlanders), George Chigova (Dynamos), Tawanda Muparati (Dynamos), Tendai Ndoro(Chicken Inn), Hardlife Zvirekwi (CAPS United), Gift Bello (Dynamos), Silas Songani (Harare City), Kudakwashe Mahachi (Chicken Inn), Erick Chipeta (Hwange), Charles Sibanda (FC Platinum), Menard Mupera of How Mine.