Who will be the ‘Keeper Of The Year?
PREMIERSHIP spokesperson, Kudzai Bare, says there are some awards likely to be won by players who didn’t make the Soccer Stars of the Year list.
For instance, the Rookie of the Year doesn’t necessarily have to come from the debutante from those who made the calendar.
The Goalkeeper of the Year will be won by the goalminder who picked the most number of votes. “There was no criteria whatsoever for the Goalkeeper of the Year.
“The one who got the most votes will walk away with the prize.
“The Rookie of the Year award can also be won by someone who is not on the calendar,” said Bare.
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scored the most goals in a season.
Others could argue that the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets should automatically clinch the Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
CAPS United’s William Manondo netted 17 times to automatically secure the league’s Golden Boot prize.
But it’s not the same case for Ngezi Platinum Stars’ shot-stopper, Nelson Chadya, who kept 19 clean sheets.
This, however, counts for nothing as the gong will go to the goalie who got the most votes from sports writers, coaches and club captains.
Last season in the South African Premiership, Denis Onyango won the Golden Glove award for keeping the highest number of clean sheets in the top-flight league.
Manchester City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Alisson Becker shared the keepers’ accolade after recording 20 clean sheets in the English Premier League in the previous campaign.
Chadya and FC Platinum’s Wallace Magalane are the two goalkeepers who were voted into the stars’ list.
Magalane managed 16 clean sheets in 21 fixtures to earn his stripes.
But since the best goalie of the year category was open to any ‘keeper, there’s room for a big
surprise.
Chickens Inn’s Donovan Bernard finished the season with 18 clean sheets, just one behind Chadya.
His exclusion from the stars’ list sparked debate. There’s also Dynamos’ Taimon Mvula, who kept 16 clean sheets.
Mvula led the clean sheets race for the better part of the campaign, but he was overtaken after being dropped for five fixtures.
Takudzwa Chikosi kept 15 clean sheets.