Soccer Star of the Year

The Soccer Star of the Year is an annual association football award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Zimbabwean football. It was first presented at the end of the 1969 Rhodesian football season,^[1] when it was founded as the Rhodesian Soccer Star of the Year; the name changed in 1980.^[2] Each year's winner is chosen at the end of the season by a vote amongst football writers from around Zimbabwe.^[3] The current holder is Charles Sibanda of FC Platinum, who won the award in 2010 while playing for Motor Action.^[4] He is the second Motor Action player to have received the award after 2006 winner Clemence Matawu.^[5]

The first winner of the award was George Shaya, who played for Dynamos and won the award five times in all; in 1969, 1972 and three times in a row from 1975 to 1977. There are two other multiple-time winners: Peter Ndlovu of Highlanders won twice consecutively in 1990 and 1991, and Stanley Ndunduma won in 1981 and 1985, playing first for CAPS United and later for Black Rhinos. Malawian midfielder Joseph Kamwendo is the lone foreign player to have won the award, having done so in 2005 while playing for CAPS United.^[5]

Winners

Season	Player	Player's nation	Club	Notes
1969	Shaya, GeorgeGeorge Shaya (1)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1970	Chieza, TendaiTendai Chieza (1)	Rhodesia	Mangula
1971	Nyama, PeterPeter Nyama (1)	Rhodesia	Chibuku Shumba
1972	Shaya, GeorgeGeorge Shaya (2)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1973	Kamba, ErnestErnest Kamba (1)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1974	Moyo, MosesMoses Moyo (1)	Rhodesia	Zimbabwe Saints
1975	Shaya, GeorgeGeorge Shaya (3)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1976	Shaya, GeorgeGeorge Shaya (4)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1977	Shaya, GeorgeGeorge Shaya (5)	Rhodesia	Dynamos
1978	Rollo, GeorgeGeorge Rollo (1)	Rhodesia	Arcadia United
1979	Tauro, ShackyShacky Tauro (1)	Zimbabwe Rhodesia	CAPS United	[n 1]
1980	Mandigora, DavidDavid Mandigora (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos	[n 2]
1981	Ndunduma, StanleyStanley Ndunduma (1)	Zimbabwe	CAPS United
1982	Mparutsa, JaphetJaphet Mparutsa (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
1983	Lungu, EphertEphert Lungu (1)	Zimbabwe	Rio Tinto
1984	Takavada, JamesJames Takavada (1)	Zimbabwe	Zisco Steel
1985	Ndunduma, StanleyStanley Ndunduma (2)	Zimbabwe	Black Rhinos
1986	Chunga, MosesMoses Chunga (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
1987	Sibanda, MercedesMercedes Sibanda (1)	Zimbabwe	Highlanders
1988	Chawanda, EphraimEphraim Chawanda (1)	Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe Saints
1989	Dinyero, MasimbaMasimba Dinyero (1)	Zimbabwe	Black Mambas
1990	Ndlovu, PeterPeter Ndlovu (1)	Zimbabwe	Highlanders	[n 3]
1990	George Nechironga (1)	Zimbabwe	CAPS United	[n 3]
1991	Ndlovu, PeterPeter Ndlovu (2)	Zimbabwe	Highlanders
1992	Mugeyi, WilfredWilfred Mugeyi (1)	Zimbabwe	Black Aces
1993	Sawu, AgentAgent Sawu (1)	Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe Saints
1994	Mucherahowa, MemoryMemory Mucherahowa (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
1995	Murewa, TauyaTauya Murewa (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
1996	Murisa, StewartStewart Murisa (1)	Zimbabwe	CAPS United
1997	Chuma, WalterWalter Chuma (1)	Zimbabwe	Wankie[n 4]
1998–99	–	–	–	[n 5]
2000	Moyo, ZenzoZenzo Moyo (1)	Zimbabwe	Highlanders
2001	Dube, MaxwellMaxwell Dube (1)	Zimbabwe	Chapungu United
2002	Kapenya, DazzyDazzy Kapenya (1)	Zimbabwe	Highlanders
2003	Murambadoro, EnergyEnergy Murambadoro (1)	Zimbabwe	CAPS United
2004	Chimedza, CephasCephas Chimedza (1)	Zimbabwe	CAPS United
2005	Kamwendo, JosephJoseph Kamwendo (1)	Malawi	CAPS United	[n 6]
2006	Matawu, ClemenceClemence Matawu (1)	Zimbabwe	Motor Action
2007	Murape, MurapeMurape Murape (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
2008	Chikwaikwai, EvansEvans Chikwaikwai (1)	Zimbabwe	Njube Sundowns
2009	Zhuwawo, RamsonRamson Zhuwawo (1)	Zimbabwe	Gunners
2010	Sibanda, CharlesCharles Sibanda (1)	Zimbabwe	Motor Action
2011	Arubi, WashingtonWashington Arubi (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos
2012	Mukamba, DenverDenver Mukamba (1)	Zimbabwe	Dynamos

Notes and references

Notes

1. Rhodesia became black majority-ruled Zimbabwe Rhodesia on 1 June 1979. This government failed to achieve international recognition.
2. The internationally recognised country of Zimbabwe became independent on 18 April 1980.
3. Joint winners
4. Changed name to Hwange in 2005. Wankie had been the name of the town of Hwange until 1982, when numerous Zimbabwean place names were changed. Several sports teams named after towns or other geographical features, like Wankie F.C., retained their original names. Some renamed themselves at later dates but others, such as Shabanie Mine (from Zvishavane, Shabani until 1982) and FC Victoria (from Masvingo, formerly Fort Victoria) retain the old names to the present day.
5. No award; controversy during the selection process led to the abandonment of the presentation after the 1998–99 season.^[5]
6. First foreign winner

References

1. Nkiwane 2011
2. Novak 2010
3. NewZimbabwe.com 2009
4. "Ngodzo breaks transfer record". The Zimbabwean (Harare). 9 March 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
5. Matongorere 2010

Sources

• Bwalya, Kalusha (29 January 2011). "2010 Soccer star finally crowned". The Zimbabwean (Harare). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
• Matongorere, Nigel (24 July 2010). "Shaya lands support for Ndlovu". The Standard (Harare). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
• Nkiwane, Brian (23 October 2011). "Zulu – 11-Time Soccer Star Finalist". The Standard (Harare). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
• Novak, Andrew (5–6 March 2010). "State, Society, and the Olympic Games in Rhodesia: Domestic and International Responses". Sports in Africa: Politics and Globalization (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
• Stokkermans, Karel (10 December 2005). "Zimbabwe – Player of the Year". Rec.sport.soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
• — (11 December 2009). "Murape Murape wins Soccer Star of the Year award". NewZimbabwe.com (Harare). Retrieved 29 October 2011.