Vusumuzi Dube
Lovemore Dube
COULD Lynoth Chikuhwa become the first Highlanders player after Dazzy Kapenya clinched the 2002 Soccer Star of the Year Award to bring the coveted award to Bulawayo?
On Friday, the player deemed to be the most outstanding for 2024 in the Castle Lager Premiership will be crowned Soccer Star of the Year in Harare.
Donovan Bernard, Khama Billiat, Lynoth Chikuhwa, and Walter Musona are all on the cusp of making history. They rank among the favourites and have every reason to be confident after a strong individual performance throughout the season, despite being part of teams that occasionally delivered uninspiring results.
Musona plays for Simba Bhora the league champions. He had a decent season and was among the stand out stars for his club.
Musona was also in the national team that qualified for the Afcon finals to be hosted by Morocco next year.
He will make history if he goes on to win the award. He will be the first Simba Bhora player ever to win the Soccer Star of the Year crown.
Musona was a pillar of strength, providing on-field leadership and contributing goals and assists as the team fought its way to the top of the log.
Bernard, arguably the country’s best goalkeeper with 20 clean sheets this season, in a team that looked so promising at the beginning of the season because of the array of talent in their ranks.
He may join a list that has Energy Murambadoro, his goalkeepers’ coach at Chicken Inn and Japhet Mparutsa who have previously been crowned Soccer Star of the Year among Zimbabwe’s great goalkeeping list that has Peter Fanwell, Frank Mkanga, Brenna Msiska, Peter Nkomo, Duncan Ellison, John Sibanda, Emmanuel Nyahuma, Munyaradzi Diya, Tapuwa Kapini, Gift Muzadzi and Chenjerayi Dube.
Benard, with his imposing stature, communication skills and a sense of great positioning, brilliance on crosses and ball distribution was an “A” factor throughout the season for Chicken Inn who yet again under achieved despite having one of the best squads in terms of quality.
Billiat arrived from South Africa down on morale after a disappointing stint at Kaizer Chiefs and set the stage alight for Yadah where he was the stand-out player all season. He showed that class is permanent with brilliant touches, runs and immaculate goals that separated him from the average players around him.
He also put up on some good performances for the country as Zimbabwe qualified for the 2025 Afcon finals in Morocco by being ever present in coach Michael Nees’ starting line-up.
Billiat stands a very good chance as all season he was getting some rave reviews for his performances in the Castle Lager league games despite playing for a team that has always been among the relegation favourites.
Upon his arrival, they played some good football and showed potential to grow.
The league’s top goal-scorer Chikuhwa will not be a surprise choice if he lands the title.
Under Kelvin Kaindu, Try Ncube and Agent Sawu, Chikuhwa has been a revelation. He was far from the striker who scored three goals under Brito Baltemar and could easily have scored 25 goals with better composure and football sense in the box.
He could be the first player after Kapenya in 2002 from Highlanders to win the Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year award.
What may work to his advantage and that of Billiat and Bernard is that Musona may split votes with his many teammates who surprisingly dominated the calendar as five made it.
History was made as, for the first time, a team had a quintet; previously, the record had been set by the 2012 Highlanders side, which contributed four after tying with Dynamos on points and losing on inferior goal difference in the title race.
Bernard, Billiat and Chikuhwa may have consistently scored in the top three alongside Musona and there is every hope that the winner will emerge from quartet.
Those that made the cut this year are: Musona, Isheanesu Mauchi, Tymon Machope, Blessing Moyo and Webster Tafa (Simba Bhora), Bernard (Chicken Inn), Kingsley Murerema, Godknows Murwira (Caps United), Chikuhwa (Highlanders), Billiat (Yadah) and Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos.)
