CAPS UNITED defender Hardlife Zvirekwi completed a season of surprises in the 2016 Soccer Stars of the Year selection process when he pipped hot-favourite veteran striker and teammate for top gong on Friday night.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
The prestigious 2016 Soccer Star of the Year award had Tsipa written all over it all season long, until the reigning league champions’ consistent performer Zvirekwi was somewhat announced the winner.
While it seemed long overdue for Zvirekwi to win, it felt like robbery on the 34-year-old veteran striker who had a fairytale season as he scooped the golden boot award with 11 goals.
Apart from emerging the top goalscorer, Tsipa was voted player of the month twice, in September and October as he led CAPS United’s charge for the title from the front.
But the panellists, made up of respected sports journalists, club captains and coaches, chose to give Zvirekwi the crown instead, with Tsipa voted the runner-up, while FC Platinum goal minder Petros Mhari came third.
“I didn’t think I was going to win this award, but as the season progresses, you will be trying to achieve your team goal. In doing so, I ended up achieving something as an individual,” an elated Zvirekwi said soon after his crowning.
“It’s such an honour and so humbling to be considered the best among the best. I had put as one of my goals sometime back that one day I would like to be crowned Soccer Star of the Year and here I am now.”
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Tsipa’s snub brings attention to some of the stars who were on top of their game, but still failed to make it onto the calendar, while there were also a few surprise inclusions.
The biggest shock was probably the inclusion of 34-year-old 2006 Soccer Star of the year Clemence Matawu, as well as Dynamos’ Godknows Murwira and, to a certain extent, Liberty Chakoroma.
As expected, champions CAPS United and runners-up FC Platinum dominated the charts with three players from each team making the final list.
It’s difficult to understand how relegated Mutare City forward Kudakwashe Gurira, who was among the season’s top scorers in his debut season, failed to make it onto the calendar.
Fourth on the league’s goal scoring charts, young Gurira, consistently shone like a beacon in a side that flirted with relegation from start to finish, but eventually failed to avoid the drop.
There was also no room for ZPC Kariba star forward Talent Chawapiwa who asserted himself as one of the best attackers currently playing the local league.
One would also have thought that 2015 Northern Region player of the year, young Donald Teguru, had done enough during the season to impress the panellists.
The skilful Teguru was at least better than Dynamos defender Godknows Murwira, whose presence among the Soccer Star finalists also raised questions about the credibility of the selection process.
Highlanders Dutch coach Erol Akbay even voiced his surprise that one of his top performers Rahman Kutsanzira and Simon Munawa were not good enough for the calender.
“I am happy Peter Muduhwa made it, he had such a great season. But I am disappointed that Rahman and Simon failed to make it. It shows that many people do not know how good these two were for Highlanders this season,” Akbay said.
Even Bruce Kangwa, who won three consecutive player of the month accolades at the beginning of the season, was overlooked despite the fact that the seven goals he scored in the first half of the season remain in the sixth best tally.
Perhaps it’s because the league does not provide enough statistics to enable all the panellists to possess the same kind of information on the players before the voting process begins.
