Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
WITH less than a third of matches left before the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season winds up, football fans are already debating the selection of the Soccer Stars of the Year.
Fans and players are already coming up with names of players likely to get the 45th Soccer Star of the Year gong.
Rival fans are engaging each other in robust debates as they look at their teams’ potential and as usual the country’s biggest two sides, Dynamos and Highlanders will always be at loggerheads.
Highlanders last had a player winning the big one 13 years ago when Dazzy Kapenya scooped it. DeMbare have dominated the last four awards contributing three players to the podium in Washington Arubi (2011), Denver Mukamba (2012) and Tawanda Muparati (2013).
ZPC Kariba’s Dennis Daudi is the reigning Soccer Star but will certainly not join George Shaya and Peter Ndlovu in winning it back to back.
The stars’ selection was inaugurated way back in 1969 with the legendary Dynamos menace then, George Shaya winning the gong before Tendai Chieza (Mhangura) and Peter Nyama (Chibuku Shumba) won it in 1971 and 1972 respectively. The Mastermind reclaimed his prize in 1973 and on three consecutive occasions in 1975, 1976 and 1977.
Besides Shaya, legendary, Peter Ndlovu and the late Stanley ‘Sinyo’ Ndunduma are the only other players to win the award more than once, Ndlovu winning it in 1990 and the following year while Sinyo was the winner in 1981 and 1985.
While some yesteryear stars might not have won it more than once, they certainly graced the calendar as one of the 11 finalists on a number of occasions.
Questions have therefore been asked as to why such things no longer happen with the present crop of players.
Players who have been selected in the last decade have really failed to justify their nomination, with some even completely failing to command a start jersey in their teams the following seasons. Some, who would have been fortunate to find foreign teams because of their selection, have turned into a national embarrassment after being offloaded there.
Former Dynamos player, Denver Mukamba, who won the award in 2012 is a good example.
Yesteryear players used to perform for seasons.
Who then is to blame for all this? Is it an issue of vanishing talent? Is the problem with the selectors? Is it the selection criteria?
Critics have blamed members of the media for becoming fanatics of certain players and teams to an extent that their selection gets shrouded in controversy. There have been calls to make public the selectors’ votes as part of measures to fight biased selection.
“Oh yes definitely, I’m, as you know, the Zimbabwe journos’ representative on the Fifa Ballon d;Or and one of the pre-conditions before you agree every year to take part in the voting process is that your vote is made public soon after the winners are announced. If you don’t want that, you’re out,” respected radio and television personality Charles ‘CNN’ Mabika said yesterday.
Veteran sports journalist and former Chronicle Sports Editor, Lovemore Dube said the calibre of some members of the panel leaves a lot to be desired.
“Noone disputed the legitimacy of Madinda Ndlovu, Mercedes Sibanda, George Shaya, Oliver Kateya, Alexander Maseko, Ephraim Dzimbiri, James Takavada and David Mandigora.
“While they made it onto the calendar, they were regulars in the national teams with consistent performances. Events of the last decade have left journalists with egg on the face as some of the players they’ve selected have only graced the calendar once,” said Dube.
There was a national outcry in 2013 when Premier Soccer League and sponsors used a complex Spain system known as Zamora to select the Goalkeeper of the Year.
The formula saw Herbert Rusawo of Black Rhinos winning the award. Nothing has been heard of the player since then.
Previous Soccer Star of the Year winners:
George Shaya (1969,1972,1975,1976,1977), Tendai Chieza (1970), Peter Nyama (1971), Ernest Kamba (1973), Moses Moyo (1974), George Rollo (1978), Shacky Tauro (1979), David Mandigora (1980), Stanley Ndunduma (1981, 1985), Japhet Mparutsa (1982), Ephert Lungu (1983), James Takavada (1984), Moses Chunga (1986), Mercedes Sibanda (1987), Ephraim Chawanda (1988), Masimba Dinyero (1989), Peter Ndlovu (1990,1991), George Nechironga (1990), Wilfred Mugeyi (1992), Agent Sawu (1993), Memory Mucherahowa (1994), Tauya Murehwa (1995), Steward Murisa (1996), Walter Chuma (1997), Zenzo Moyo (2000), Maxwell Dube (2001), Dazzy Kapenya (2002), Energy Murambadoro (2003), Cephas Chimedza (2004), Joseph Kamwendo (2005), Clemence Matawu (2006), Murape Murape (2007), Evans Chikwaikwai (2008), Ramson Zhuwawo (2009), Charles Sibanda (2010), Washington Arubi (2011), Denver Mukamba (2012), Tawanda Muparati (2013), Dennis Dauda (2014).