Although the soccer star of the year and his two runners up will be selected on the same day, their names will be kept a secret until a special banquet to be hosted by the sponsors Delta Beverages later in the year.
PSL chief Executive Officer Kennedy Ndebele confirmed the selection date but made it clear that contrary to rumours doing rounds, there won’t be any changes to the selection process. “Nothing has changed,” said Ndebele.
Apart from the soccer star of the year, the panellists will also vote for the coach of the year and rookie of the year, an award which at the moment is in the hands of Caps United’s Zimbabwe Under 20 captain Ronald Pfumbidzai.
The current soccer star of the year is Dynamos’ Tawanda Muparati although there are many who believe the selectors erred adding that instead former Harare City striker Silas Songani was the deserving winner in the year gone by.
The sponsors have reviewed the prize money for the soccer star of the year. Instead of $5 000, this year’s winner will receive $6 000. Some of the players expected to make the grade include ZPC Kariba’s Limited Chikafa, Tendai Hove, and Pride Tafirenyika, Dynamos’ Themba Ndlovu, former winner Clement Matawu of Chicken Inn, Walter Musona of FC Platinum, Tendai Somanja of Caps United, and the country’s leading goal scorer, Charles Sibanda of Highlanders.
The Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year Award is restricted only to performance in league matches and performance in knockout tournaments including the Chibuku Super Cup which has the same sponsor as the league does not count.
The Castle Soccer Star of the Year Award was introduced way back in 1969 and Dynamos’ George Shaya is a record five time holder of the title. Shaya won the award in 1969, 1972,1975, 1976, and 1977.
The only other players to have won the award more than once are the late great Stanley Ndunduma in 1981 and 1985 and Peter Ndlovu in 1990 and 1991 won the award twice each. Only Ndlovu and Caps United’s George Nechironga were in the history of the competition voted joint winners. This came about in 1990.
Post published in: Football