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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Harare
REIGNING Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions, FC Platinum, provided the highest number of players on the 2018 Soccer Stars’ list selected in Harare yesterday.

Pure Platinum Play’s Rodwell Chinyengetere, who is also the reigning Soccer Star of the Year, his teammate, Kevin Moyo, who was the second runner-up last year, as well as Farai Madhanhanga all made it into this year’s final 11, which also saw troubled Harare giants Dynamos failing to provide a player on the calendar for the second time since 1969.

The only other time that the Harare giants did not provide a player on the calendar was in 2005.

Inspirational Highlanders’ goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda, who kept an impressive 16 clean sheets, made it into the line up and so did the Caps United duo of Joel Ngodzo and Phineas Bamusi.

Chicken Inn’s player of the year Innocent Mucheneka was also voted among the country’s best 11 players, while league runners-up Ngezi Platinum Stars provided Michael Charamba and Godknows Murwira on the final list.

Rodwell Chinyengetere

Electricity men, ZPC Kariba, have David Temwanjira.

The panelists also voted for the Promising Young Player of the Year as well as the Coach of the Year, who will, however, be revealed during the banquet next week.

Herentals’ Tino Benza and Norman Mapeza are strong candidates for the awards.

Also selected yesterday were the Soccer Star of the Year and his two runners-up.

Speaking before the voting process, convenor of selectors Steve Vickers said only players who would have accumulated 10 yellow or five red cards as well as those with proven doping cases would be ineligible.

“This year we don’t have any player with 10 yellow or five red cards. The players with highest cards are Godfrey Mukambi of Dynamos and Borniface Zuberu of ZPC Kariba with nine yellow cards each,” said Vickers.

Chicken Inn’s Obrien Chirinda and relegated Bulawayo City’s Sipho Ndlovu had eight cards each.

The selection process was done by a selected panel of journalists as well as club coaches and their captains, but conspicuous by their absence were Bulawayo giants, Highlanders.

2018 Soccer Stars
Godknows Murwira, Michael Charamba ( Ngezi Platinum), Rodwell Chinyengetere, Kevin Moyo, Farai Madhanhanga (FC Platinum), Joel Ngodzo, Phineas Bamusi (Caps United), Innocent Mucheneka (Chicken Inn), Lameck Nhamo (Triangle United), David Temwanjira (ZPC Kariba) and Ariel Thulani Sibanda (Highlanders).