THE Castle Lager soccer star of the year awards have come and gone and now focus will shift on to who would grab the top honours at the country’s big clubs awards that usually follow.
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER Highlanders will soon be honouring their players who excelled in the 2013 season on a day to be announced after consultations with the club’s principal sponsors BancABC.
Dynamos are also sponsored by the same financial institution and are also due for club awards.
After missing out on this year’s Castle Lager soccer star finalists due to the dreaded six yellow cards rule, Bosso’s left-back Bruce Kangwa, who has been consistent for the Bulawayo giants, is likely to dominate the Highlanders awards.
Kangwa’s misery with the league’s sponsors awards started last year where he had a formidable season, but missed out when Highlanders dominated the awards with four players — skipper Innocent Mapuranga, Masimba Mambare, Erick Mudzingwa and goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda made it into the calendar.
The attacking midfielder-turned left-back has been influential at Bosso both in defence and in attack as a wing-back, building up raids from his flank to combine well with left linkman Milton Ncube, a combination which produced a number of important goals for Highlanders.
Kangwa has been good in attack, where he was introduced at Highlanders by Madinda Ndlovu together with Rahman Kutsanzira and has been equally good on recovery to launch raids upfront aided by his love for speed.
The Bosso speed king is definitely tipped to dominate the club awards, this after he was voted most improved player last season.
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Mudzingwa, hampered by injury this year which saw him on the sidelines, dominated last year’s awards, picking up two accolades, the most consistent player and the players’ player of the year awards on a year the player of the year award went to Masimba Mambare.
Mudzingwa walked away with $4 250 for his respective awards last year while Mambare picked up a cool $5 000, courtesy of BancABC.
Shotstopper Sibanda picked up $1 250 for being the most disciplined player, but both him and Mudzingwa like Kangwa, do not be feature in this year’s Castle Lager soccer stars list.
Another player who might prove a big challenge to Kangwa in the club awards is goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, who wrested the number one jersey from Sibanda and became the darling of the multitudes of Highlanders supporters.
This year’s top goalscorer award goes to veteran Njabulo “Tshiki” Ncube while central defender Dumisani “Fazo” Ndlovu, who ended the season nursing an injury, is tipped to win the most improved player award.
Youthful Gabriel Nyoni, in his debut season with the Bulawayo giants, a club that he joined in mid-season, is tipped to win the most promising player and goal of the season awards.
Highlanders’ treasurer Jerry Sibanda on Friday said they were still waiting to get a nod from sponsors BancABC before the date for the awards is announced.
“We are still waiting for our sponsors. There are still one or two things that we have to finalise, but the awards will probably be held next Friday,” Sibanda said.
