Online Reporter
Tendai Chara-Zimpapers Sports Hub
WASHINGTON “Navigator” Navaya has never been short of goals.
This season, the Hardrock striker appears to be on his way to winning the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s Golden Boot.
With five matches remaining, Navaya sits at the top of the scoring charts with 16 goals, four clear of Dy-namos’ Frank Agyemang, who has 12.
Last season, while turning out for TelOne, Navaya finished the campaign with 17 goals, establishing himself as one of the division’s most dangerous marksmen.
His goals earned him a move to Highlanders, but the stay in Bulawayo did not last long.
Now at Hardrock, Navaya has rediscovered the consistency that made him one of the standout strikers last season.
He is once again charting his way towards the top of the scoring charts.
What has made his current campaign particularly interesting, however, is that he is not operating in iso-lation.
At Hardrock, Navaya has recently benefited from a striking partnership with Prince Dube, with the combination giving the team an attacking dimension that has helped create opportunities for the leading scorer.
The understanding between the two has given Navaya the freedom to concentrate on what he does best — getting into dangerous positions and finishing chances.
Around them, there has also been a supporting cast willing to do the less glamorous work that allows the goals to flow.
Among those providing that support is, among them Neliswa Dlamini, whose contribution has helped create the platform from which Navaya and his fellow attackers can flourish.
Navaya’s 16 goals this season did not come out of nowhere.
They are the continuation of a scoring habit that was already evident during his time at TelOne, where he found the net 17 times in the 2025 season.
The move to Highlanders might have interrupted that momentum, but his subsequent switch to Hard-rock has provided the forward with another opportunity to show what he can do.
With the season entering its final five matches, Navaya has placed himself in a strong position to claim the individual prize, although Agyemang remains close enough to ensure that the race is not yet settled.
The four-goal gap means Agyemang needs to produce a better scoring return than Navaya over the remaining fixtures.
Agyemang could close the gap with a brace in one of the remaining matches.
A strong scoring run could also put Navaya under serious pressure.
But the Hardrock forward has already demonstrated that he does not need a huge number of chances to make his presence felt.
His record at TelOne and his current tally at Hardrock suggest a striker who knows where the goal is.
Justice Mugota Chasura, who coaches Northern Region Soccer League side Marere, tipped Navaya to win the Golden Boot.
“He has the advantage of being in the leading position. He is not chasing anyone and the goal difference is wide,” Chasura said.
Chasura said instead, it is Agyemang and the rest of the chasing pack who are under pressure.
“The Hardrock striker simply needs to keep scoring and pray that his challengers do not score many goals required to overtake him,” added Chasura.
Yet being the leading scorer brings its own challenges, with defenders focusing more on leading strikers.
Ndawana Dube, another lower division football coach, spoke about the challenges that Navaya might encounter.
“Defenders will be looking to deny him space, cut off his supply and prevent him from getting into the positions that have brought him 16 goals.”
“This will make life very difficult for him as we move towards the end of the season,” Dube said.
With only five matches left, Navaya is within sight of a prize that would once again cap a remarkable season.
Navaya has only five games to complete another milestone season.
On the other hand, Agyemang and the chasing pack also have five games to stop him.
