CAPS United striker and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Golden Boot award winner, Leonard Tsipa, is the hot favourite to win the Soccer Star of the Year gong at tonight’s awards ceremony to be held in Harare.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Tsipa, who turns 35 on January 25, threw age out of the window to score 11 goals, which helped Caps United to championship success for the first time in 11 years.
The veteran striker played 1 525 minutes in 22 games, and 10 of the goals he scored were in a winning cause for the team, while the 11th goal rescued a point in a 2-2 draw against ZPC Kariba at Rufaro.
Last season, Danny “Deco” Phiri won the award after leading Chicken Inn to their maiden championship.
Caps right-back, Hardlife Zvirekwi — who was consistently good throughout the season, playing a total of 28 games and contributing five assists, missed just two matches due to injury — is likely to give Tsipa a run for his money.
Another Makepekepe full-back, Ronald Pfumbidzai, has a good chance to be picked among the top three outstanding players.
He played 25 games and contributed the highest number of assists — 19 — towards the 42 goals Caps United scored. The Goalkeeper of the Year prize is certainly going to FC Platinum’s Petros Mhari.
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Caps United coach, Lloyd Chitembwe is also tipped to win the Coach of the Year award after leading the Green Machine to their fifth league title in history in a very close race with FC Platinum.
He ended a decade of waiting for the elusive trophy, which Makepekepe last won in 2004 and 2005 when they won back-to-back championships under Charles Mhlauri.
Chitembwe wrote a glorious page for himself becoming the first coach at Caps United to win the championship as a player and coach.
The Caps United gaffer finished the season without tasting defeat at the National Sports Stadium, which they turned into a fortress.
FC Platinum coach, Norman Mapeza is also a contender for the award having been beaten to the finishing line on the last day of the league programme.
Caps United finished the season with 63 points, two ahead of FC Platinum.
Highlanders coach, Erol Akbay and Tonderai Ndiraya of Ngezi Platinum Stars have an outside chance.
The Referee of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Promising Under-20 Player of the Year will also be named tonight.
The 2016 Soccer Star of the Year finalists:
Liberty Chakoroma (Ngezi Platinum), Clemence Matawu (Chicken Inn), Gift Mbweti (Hwange), Winston Mhango (FC Platinum), Petros Mhari (FC Platinum), Walter Musona (FC Platinum), Peter Muduhwa (Highlanders), Godknows Murwira (Dynamos), Ronald Pfumbidzai (Caps United), Leonard Tsipa (Caps United), Hardlife Zvirekwi (Caps United).
