After a three-year wait, the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Star of the Year is now finally going to be crowned.
The wait will be over on Friday evening as all is set for the end of season awards ceremony to be held at the Country Club in Newlands, Harare.
This is the first time the awards are being held in three years due to the outbreak of Covid-19 which caused the halt of football activities in the country.
CAPS United midfielder Joel “Josta” Ngodzo who is the reigning soccer star of the year after winning the gong in 2019 is set to crown a new king.
The stand out player for the recently ended 2021/22 premier soccer league campaign was voted by a panel of 86 people which comprised football writer, coaches and club captains who two weeks ago casted their votes electronically.
The online voting conducted on the 18th of November also resulted in the league’s best eleven (Soccer Stars of the Year) being voted for.
Speaking on the preparations of the awards banquet set for Friday, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Spokesperson Kudzai Bare said: “Preparations are under way. We are ready for the event. The event will start at 6pm at the Country Club in Newlands.
“All Soccer Stars of the Year finalists will be in attendance as well as coaches, club captains, club representatives and all the club’s chairmans.”
It’s likely going to be a highly contested award which will see the best player in the land to walk away with a prize money of US$7,500 being crowned
Some of the prospects for the coveted individual award include the league champions FC Platinum’s midfielder Walter Musona who finished the season with 14 goals three adrift the league’s top scorer William Manondo.
The CAPS United striker also the golden boot winner, Manondo who netted 17 times is also tipped for the soccer star of the year award as well as Dynamos’ central defender Frank Makarati and Highlanders’ attacker Divine Mhindirira.
Apart from the Soccer Star of the Year the panellists also voted for the Coach, Goalkeeper and Rookie of the year.
Meanwhile, this year for the first time in history, the PSL’s sponsors Delta Beverages introduced the Fan’s Choice Award.
This will see some football lovers across the country voting online for their best player of the year selecting only from the finalists that made it into the best 11.
