Over the past few years, we have seen the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions also providing the Castle Soccer Star of the Year.
It happened in 2018 and 2022 with Rodwelll Chinyengetere and Walter Musona with FC Platinum, Qadir Amin in 2023 with Ngezi Platinum Stars and Walter Musona once again in 2024 but this time with Simba Bhora.
Not mentioning Danny Phiri with Chicken Inn in 2015, Hardlife Zvirekwi with Caps United in 2016, and Rodwell Chinyengetere with FC Platinum in 2017 who all took home the coveted crown after their teams won the Premiership title.
Further back, there was Ramson Zhuwao with Gunners in 2009, Charles Sibanda with Motor Action in 2010, Washington Arubi with Dynamos in 2011, Denver Mukamba with Dynamos' in 2012 and Tawanda Muparati also with Dynamos in 2013 who all led their teams to Castle Lager PSL glory before claiming the individual accolade.
There were a few exceptions this generation like Dennis Dauda of ZPC Kariba in 2014, and Joel Ngodzo of Caps United in 2019, who won the Castle Soccer Star of the Year Award without their teams winning the league championship.
Yet in the past we had players from teams which did not finish among the top teams in the title race winning the Soccer Star of the Year award as was the case — for example — with Maxwell Dube of Chapungu in 2001, Masimba Dinyero of Black Mambas in 1989, Ephert Lungu of Rio Tinto in 1983 and James Takavada of Ziscosteel in 1984.
"The rules have changed. The Soccer Star of the Year is now only for performance in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League. During our days, performance in all tournaments — the Rothmans Shield, the Chibuku Trophy, the Castle Cup and the BAT Rosebowl — was considered," said former Dynamos defender Eddie Muchongwe. "So, it gave the selectors a wide choice."
He added, "Now it is only for one competition and chances are always high that the team that wins that competition will produce the best player."
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The same trend has also extended to the Coach of the Year where it has also become systematic that the PSL champion automatically becomes the Castle Lager Coach of the Year.
This is evident with Tonderai Ndiraya in 2024 who took the PSL title with Simba Bhora, Takesure Chiragwi in 2023 with Ngezi Platinum Stars, and Norman Mapeza in 2018 and 2022 with FC Platinum.
The question is: Will the 2025 champions Scottland also provide the Soccer Star and Coach of the Year ?
"It is very difficult to ignore top performers from the champions. But I think the competition will be a bit tighter this year, even for the Coach of the Year," observes Danny Jimu, a former Arcadia United and Black Aces midfielder.
Surely, Mabviravira's top performer throughout the season was Kelvin Moyo but was he better than say Emmanuel Ziocha of Simba Bhora, Washington Navaya of TelOne or Emmanuel Jalai of Dynamos ?
"Moyo was very outstanding but not to be Soccer Star of the Year," said football analyst Admire Muhimeke adding that Mabviravira played more as a unity and it would come as a surprise should any of their players be crowned the soccer star of the year because "non of them" deserves.
The selection for the Soccer Star of the Year finalists is just around the corner and there are a number of other contenders for the crown apart from Moyo, Ziocha, Navaya, and Jalai and these include Tymon Machope of Scottland, Jarrison Selemani of FC Platinum, Billy Veremu of Mwos, William Thole of Simba Bhora, Andrew Mbeba and Mason Mushore of Highlanders, Takunda Benhura of Ngezi Platinum Stars
Although few doubt that the Coach of the Year will come from Scottland, there are many who believe that only Scottland' famous ' brown envelope' will see the Soccer Star of the Year coming from Mabviravira.
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