The missing superstars

BACK in the day, there were players like Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa and the late Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo who would routinely grace the Soccer Stars of the Year calendar to the extent that one would think the platform was made for them.

Mtizwa, who starred for CAPS United and Black Rhinos in the 1980s, appeared on the calendar a record nine times and was runner-up on five occasions.

Bosso legend Khumalo was a Soccer Star of the Year finalist on six occasions during the 1980s and 1990s, when he shone in Highlanders’ traditional blackand-white strip.

In the 1990s, there were several players, who included the late Joe “Kode” Mugabe, who also appeared on the Soccer Stars of the Year calendar on a regular basis.

Sadly, that has not been the case in recent years, as the Premier Soccer League has become a breeding ground for one-season wonders.

In some instances, players shine for one season and earn an instant move to South Africa, where they falter, before returning to Zimbabwe and sink into oblivion.

Since 2011, only Clement Matawu appeared on the calendar for three consecutive years —from 2015 to 2017 — when the ex-midfielder featured for Chicken Inn.

He retired from the game in December 2020.

Even the goals are now scarce in a league whose top scorers have failed to breach the 20-goal mark since 2010, when Norman Maroto banged 22 for the now-defunct Gunners.

There are suggestions from some quarters that the PSL should, from next season, award the Golden Boot to a player who not only tops the charts but also scores 20-plus goals.

The 2023 Golden Boot winner, Takunda Benhura, of Ngezi Platinum Stars, scored 13 goals in a 34-match season, which translates to 0.38 goals per match, or simply one goal in almost every three matches.

It was worse in 2016, when Leonard Tsipa scored a paltry 11 goals but still managed to top the charts.

Two seasons before Tsipa’s tally, Charles Sibanda and Kuda Musharu had shared the Golden Boot after scoring 12 goals.

Similarly, the Soccer Stars calendar has lacked consistency in the last 10 or so seasons.

Of the 11 stars selected in 2022, only Nelson Chadya of Ngezi Platinum Stars and Tinotenda Benza (Herentals) retained their places on the 2023 list.

Of the 11 stars who made it onto the 2019 calendar, none returned in 2022.

Lacking the drive

According to the legendary Mtizwa, the crisis can be attributed to various reasons, one of them being lack of discipline and dedication among players.

“Yesteryear players had genuine love for the game. They would go an extra mile and train on their own to maintain sharpness and fitness, unlike players of today,” says Mtizwa.

“These days, players have a lot to do other than football. There is the issue of drugs, alcohol and bad influence from friends. Without discipline, there is no consistency.

“Maybe we were lucky there was no such things like mutoriro and those illicit beers.

“Players of today think drug abuse is fashionable and that is why they do not last.”

Former Dynamos captain and 1995 Soccer Star of the Year Memory Mucherahowa believes the haphazard movement of players is affecting their consistency.

“Nowadays, there is a lot of movement of players after every season.

“If you look at a team like Dynamos, they had almost an entire new team this season.

“So, each time a player moves to a new team, his rhythm is disturbed,” opines Mucherahowa, who captained DeMbare to the 1998 CAF Champions League final.

He gave an example of Godknows Murwira, who has played for Dynamos, FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum and FC Platinum in the last five seasons.

“This disturbs a player’s performance because he will need time to settle in a new team. These players now have managers. When we played, we didn’t have such a privilege.

“If a team approached you, your team would deny you a move, but now there are managers who broker deals, so players can now move freely.

“But, if you go back in history, we had players like Joel Shambo and Joe Mugabe, who stayed at CAPS United for a long time and were very consistent,” added Mucherahowa.

Evolving tactics

Former Soccer Star of the Year and prolific goalscorer Zenzo Moyo blames the goal drought in the PSL to evolving tactics of the game.

“I think today’s coaches are too defensive and the way they set up their teams doesn’t allow open play,” said the 2000 Soccer Star of the Year.

“Also, back then, we used to have creative midfielders like Blessing Makunike, Ronald Sibanda and Johannes Ngodzo, but today we no longer have such players.

“Everyone is a defender these days and there is no creativity. This affects strikers negatively.

“I watched a number of games this year and not even a single striker came face-to-face with a keeper.”

Apart from the declining standards, the absence of FC Platinum and CAPS United players on the Castle Lager Soccer Stars of the Year calendar sums up their indifferent season.

Apart from failing to set a new record of five successive championships, FC Platinum also failed to make it among the top three for the first time since 2014.

For the first time after a lengthy, dominant spell in which they won the league title in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, Pure Platinum Play do not have anyone among the Premiership’s best XI.

Yet just last year, they provided a Soccer Star of the Year winner in Walter Musona and two finalists — Gift Bello and Wallace Magalane.

And, as has seemingly become the trend among the voting panellists, they picked three players from the new champions Ngezi Platinum Stars — Takunda Benhura, Qadr Amini and Nelson Chadya.

Dynamos and Highlanders provided two players each in Tanaka Shandirwa and Donald Mudadi, as well as Andrew Mbeba and veteran goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, respectively.

Sibanda has been the most consistent performer in the last 11 seasons.

He has been a finalist on four occasions in 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

Rodwell Chinyengetere has three appearances in 2012 with Hwange and twice with FC Platinum in 2017 and 2018.

DeMbare have provided the greatest number of finalists — 18 — since 2011, followed closely by FC Platinum, who have 17.

Highlanders have 16, Chicken Inn 15 and CAPS United 13.

Both Dynamos and FC Platinum have provided three Soccer Stars of Year winners since 2011, while CAPS United have produced two.