Sports / Local
Knox Mutizwa voted 3rd best player of 2015
05 Dec 2015 at 02:16hrs | Views
CALL him King Deco. Chicken Inn midfielder and skipper Danny "Deco" Phiri was last night crowned the 2015 Soccer Star of the Year following a good season with his club, who won their maiden Premiership league title.
Phiri was crowned the league's Numero Uno and got a $6 000 cheque for his exploits.
Dynamos defender Ocean Mushure was his first runner-up at the event that was also graced by Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane.
Highlanders striker Knox Mutizwa, who also won the Golden Boot in a season in which he scored 14 goals, was named as the third best player on the domestic scene.
It was a Chicken Inn affair with their coach Joey Antipas also scooping the Coach of the Year crown.
The former Warriors man led modest Chicken Inn in a remarkable season in which they claimed their maiden league championship after finishing the season on 61 points, four ahead of Dynamos, who finished in second place.
The new champions contributed four soccer stars on the calendar and last night their goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who is also among the 11 finalists, also scooped the Goalkeeper of the Year award following an impressive season in which he played 28 league matches and conceded 21 goals.
Their forward, Edmore Chirambadare, who at one time was favourite for the Golden Boot, also made it to the calendar alongside veteran midfielder Clement Matawu.
Matawu, who won the Soccer Star of the Year award in 2006, was not able to attend the event last night as he was not feeling well.
Also honoured in absentia was Highlanders striker Mutizwa. The 22-year old forward is currently in South Africa on a short trial stint with Bidvest Wits.
Mutizwa and goalkeeper Chipezeze were not the only players who graced the podium twice.
Dynamos goalkeeper — Tatenda Mukuruva — also shone as he walked away with the Most Promising Player Award, apart from being named among the XI best players chosen by a panel of experts.
The Most Promising Player award is reserved for all the players registered among the Under-20 players by the PSL.
Nomore Musundire was awarded the Referee of The Year Award and the Most Disciplined Team Award went to Harare City.
The night, however belonged to Phiri, who took over the big award from ZPC Kariba defender Dennis Dauda, who won the gong last year.
Dauda had taken the baton from How Mine midfielder Tawanda Muparati, who won in 2013 when he was still with Dynamos.
In 2012, another former Dynamos midfielder, Denver Mukamba, also won the award while in 2011 it was won by another former DeMbare player, Washington Arubi.
How Mine forward Charles Sibanda won it in 2010.
The soccer stars selection panel was done by a cross section of journalists, all the Premiership soccer coaches and their captains.
The 11 Finalists:
Danny Phiri (Number One), Ocean Mushure (Number Two), Knox Mutizwa (Number Three), Elvis Chipezeze, Tatenda Mukuruva, Edmore Chirambadare, Clemence Matawu, Raphael Manuvire, Brian Muzvondiwa, Hillary Bakacheza, Stephen Makatuka
Phiri was crowned the league's Numero Uno and got a $6 000 cheque for his exploits.
Dynamos defender Ocean Mushure was his first runner-up at the event that was also graced by Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane.
Highlanders striker Knox Mutizwa, who also won the Golden Boot in a season in which he scored 14 goals, was named as the third best player on the domestic scene.
It was a Chicken Inn affair with their coach Joey Antipas also scooping the Coach of the Year crown.
The former Warriors man led modest Chicken Inn in a remarkable season in which they claimed their maiden league championship after finishing the season on 61 points, four ahead of Dynamos, who finished in second place.
The new champions contributed four soccer stars on the calendar and last night their goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who is also among the 11 finalists, also scooped the Goalkeeper of the Year award following an impressive season in which he played 28 league matches and conceded 21 goals.
Their forward, Edmore Chirambadare, who at one time was favourite for the Golden Boot, also made it to the calendar alongside veteran midfielder Clement Matawu.
Matawu, who won the Soccer Star of the Year award in 2006, was not able to attend the event last night as he was not feeling well.
Also honoured in absentia was Highlanders striker Mutizwa. The 22-year old forward is currently in South Africa on a short trial stint with Bidvest Wits.
Mutizwa and goalkeeper Chipezeze were not the only players who graced the podium twice.
The Most Promising Player award is reserved for all the players registered among the Under-20 players by the PSL.
Nomore Musundire was awarded the Referee of The Year Award and the Most Disciplined Team Award went to Harare City.
The night, however belonged to Phiri, who took over the big award from ZPC Kariba defender Dennis Dauda, who won the gong last year.
Dauda had taken the baton from How Mine midfielder Tawanda Muparati, who won in 2013 when he was still with Dynamos.
In 2012, another former Dynamos midfielder, Denver Mukamba, also won the award while in 2011 it was won by another former DeMbare player, Washington Arubi.
How Mine forward Charles Sibanda won it in 2010.
The soccer stars selection panel was done by a cross section of journalists, all the Premiership soccer coaches and their captains.
The 11 Finalists:
Danny Phiri (Number One), Ocean Mushure (Number Two), Knox Mutizwa (Number Three), Elvis Chipezeze, Tatenda Mukuruva, Edmore Chirambadare, Clemence Matawu, Raphael Manuvire, Brian Muzvondiwa, Hillary Bakacheza, Stephen Makatuka
Source - the herald
