For the past three weeks, the nation has been kept guessing who would be crowned the Soccer Star of the Year.
By Brian Nkiwane
The wait will soon be over as the top three players will be announced at a banquet in the capital on Friday.
The function will also see the honouring of other award winners, which will include all the 11 finalists, individual award winners, Referee of the Year and the Coach of the Year.
Battle for the top award is between Dynamos lanky midfielder Denver “Mundikumbuke” Mukamba, who has been a revelation for the Glamour Boys this season helping them to retain their double, and Highlanders’ Masimba Mambare.
Mambare, who has been the driving force at Highlanders this season, won matches for Bosso where it mattered most, especially the three goals that he scored on three separate occasions on the stroke of regulation time to keep Bosso in the running for the championship.
Monomotapa pint-sized attacking midfielder Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo is a dark horse as he also helped his side to finish the season fourth in addition to a Mbada Diamonds Cup runners up spot.
Monoz is the only team that managed to beat Highlanders in the league this season, the only defeat that the Bulawayo giants tasted before repeating the same feat when they came from two goals down to win 3-2, knocking Bosso out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup in Hwange. DeMbare’s Patson Jaure can be another surprise inclusion in the top three, as well as Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.
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A fierce battle will be between Highlanders Zambian-born coaches Kelvin Kaindu, who guided his team to a record 23-match unbeaten run, against DeMbare’s Kallisto Pasuwa, who retained the league championship and the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
Pasuwa has for the second time guided DeMbare to both the league championship and Mbada Diamonds Cup.
Not to be forgotten is Chicken Inn’s Adam Ndlovu, who has changed the team to a formidable side that had a say in the championship although they surrendered along the way.
