Bruce Kangwa bowled out by cards

IT might not have been an explosive Castle Lager Premiership season but there were players who illuminated the scene and eleven outstanding footballers will be chosen by a panel of journalists and coaches in the capital tomorrow.

Wits University midfielder Denver Mukamba won the Soccer Star of the Year award last season after a starring role at Dynamos and the panel will choose the Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year.

A Goalkeeper of the Year and the Most Disciplined Team will also be selected but this selection is based on statistics.

Yesterday, the Premier Soccer League released a list of players who accumulated at least six yellow cards and will not be considered for the awards.

This criteria of penalising players based on the number of cautions they receive remain not favourable for the personnel in defence as it is their line of duty to be involved in some tough tackles during play.

The list released has about 90 percent of the players being defenders and anchormen.

Players such as Dynamos defender Ocean Mushure, Highlanders' Bruce Kangwa, Harare City's Crispen Dickson, Buffaloes' Prosper

Matizanadzo and Hwange's Munyaradzi Mungadze will have to pay heavily for being defenders after accumulating six yellow cards.

But the same cannot be said for players such as Tripple B striker Aleck Marime who got 10 cards and Dynamos' Murape Murape who picked seven yellow cards.

Chicken Inn defender Khumbulani Banda has the highest number of yellow cards after accumulating 11 yellow cards and is followed by Tripple B striker Aleck Marime who has got 10 cards.

Marime, who has also scored 11 goals, is the third leading goal scorer behind Buffaloes striker Steven Sibanda has 12 goals while leading goal-scorer Tendai Ndoro is set to win the Golden Boot award after scoring 18 goals.

Dynamos midfielder Devon Chafa, who is serving a six-month suspension from Fifa for using banned substances, is also not eligible for selection but could have been a contender for the top award.

However, Dynamos defender Partson Jaure ,who was summoned by the Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee for bringing football into disrepute, will only know his fate today when the Committee meets and could still be eligible if a ruling is not made.

Dynamos goalkeeper George Chigova is likely to win the Goalkeeper of the Year if statistics are anything to go by.

The big goalkeeper won the Goalkeeper of the Month award three times after he was voted the best 'keeper in May, July and August/September.

Highlanders goalminder Munyaradzi Diya won the award in April.

Other goalkeepers such as Black Mambas' Tonderai Mateyaunga, FC Platinum's Francis Tizayi, Black Rhinos' Herbert Rusawo, Harare

City's Muzvondiwa Gonese, Victor Twaliki from Shabanie and Brighton Chipula of Triangle won the monthly award once.

The monthly awards saw CAPS United defender Ronald Pfumbidzai winning the Player of the Month award in April while Washington Pakamisa won it in May.

Chicken Inn's Tendai Ndoro was voted the best player for June.

Harare City defensive midfielder James Jam won it in July while in the combined month of August/September the award was won by Hardlife Zvirekwi.

Triangle striker Misheck Mburayi was the best player for the month of October.

However, it seems the monthly awards do not count much for who would be voted the best players at the end of the season as journalists again would be at loggerheads to choose the best players in the country with a number of plots and sub plots at play.

Masimba Mambare, who was voted the second best player last year, blew hot and cold this season and was a pale shadow of the player who was pipped by Mukamba last season.

Ronald Chitiyo found himself having to captain a sinking ship Monomotapa and while he had his moments, he didn't impose himself the way he did last year when he finished third in the race.

At Dynamos, midfielder Chafa had a brilliant season and also became a key member of the Warriors squad before his world crumbled after he was found with traces of a banned substance during a random doping test.

His teammates Tawanda Muparati and Partson Jaure also had a good season although the unsung hero in the team has been defender Gift Bello.

At Harare City, Warriors midfielder Silas Songani, Jam and defender Dickson also guided the team in its quest for a maiden league title.

Highlanders 'keeper Munyaradzi Diya was also the leading light for the Bulawayo giants.

Hardlife Zvirekwi and 'keeper Tafadzwa Dube had a good season at CAPS United while Buffaloes striker Sibanda, who is the second leading striker with 12 goals, was also outstanding for the Mutare side.

Ndoro is also guaranteed his place on the calendar after his good season in which he starred for his club and country.

He will join South Africa Premiership newboys Mpumulanga Black Aces in January.

Chicken Inn's Kuda Mahachi, who won the Rookie of the Year award last year, had a good season for the Gamecocks.

Shabanie forward, Pervington Zimunya, who contributed 11 goals, Hwange defender Eric Chipeta and FC Platinum forward, Charles Sibanda, also had a good season.

Ineligible Players
Khumbulani Banda, Aleck Marime, Prosper Matizanadzo, Maxwell Mavhuto, Isaac Masame, Ben Nyahunzvi, Murape Murape, Givemore Fireyi, Temba Ndlovu, Arnold Chivheya, Danny Phiri, Thabani Goredema, Crispen Dickson, Steven Alimenda, Ocean Mushure, Thabani Kamusoko, Obrey Chirwa, Bruce Kangwa, Munyaradzi Mungadze, Godfrey Moyo, David Sengu.