B-Metro
Fungai Muderere
ALL eyes will be on 86 local football experts on Friday when they select the 11 finest players who impressed during the just concluded 2021/2022 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League
The country’s elite football season concluded last Sunday, on a weekend when Zvishavane-based FC Platinum were crowned champions for the fourth time on the trot, a milestone that was previously achieved by Highlanders (between 1998 and 2002) and Dynamos (2011 to 2014).
PSL announced that 50 football writers from various local media outlets in the country, 18 PSL coaches and their captains will take part in the selection process, which will be done online for the second year in a row which is a shift from the traditional gatherings.
Previous selections have been blighted by controversy, with some panelists accused of voting on regional lines.
A number of names have also been brought to the fore with the likes of FC Platinum trio of Walter Musona, Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya and Wallace Magalane, Brian Muza, Bret Amidu, Donovan Bernard and Itai Mabunu of Chicken Inn, Lynoth Chikuhwa and Devine Mhindirira of Highlanders, CAPS United’s William Manondo, Eli Ilanga who turns out for Black Rhinos and Ngezi Platinum goalkeeper Nelson Chadya dominating the discussions on various fora.
Dynamos defender Frank Mkarati and Triangle United’s Donald Ngoma could also be named among the country’s finest players this season.
The selectors will also vote for the best player of the year and other individual awards like the coach, referee and rookie of the year but only be announced at an event to be held on 2 December in Harare.
Ex-Highlanders and FC Platinum creative midfielder Joel “Josta” Ngodzo is the reigning Soccer Star of the Year. He clinched the country’s top football accolade in 2019 before the game went on a Covid-19 induced halt the following season.
When he clinched the gong, Ngodzo was then turning out for CAPS United, a club he rejoined midway into the just-concluded season from his boyhood side Bosso.
