ZPC Kariba dominate soccer stars selection

...finally get the better of DeMbare

MatchDay

Kariba premiership outfit ZPC Kariba finally got the better of Dynamos, winning the top four gongs which were up for grabs at the Soccer Star of the year presentation in Harare last night, an equally painful knock after Dynamos denied them their first topflight title on the last day of the season.

Record breaking Dynamos coach, Kallisto Pasuwa and his troops who were expected to walk out the bigger winners after another sterling season in which they won four cups including their fourth title on the trot and under a single mentor had to be content with two stars who were included in the 2014 Castle Lager Premiership Season’s best 11.

Dennis Dauda walked out the biggest winner after scooping the coveted Player of the Season award which is now worth $6 000, having marshalled the mean Kariba side’s defence and only managing a single yellow card throughout.

Fans took to social networks to express their different views on the matter as soon as the winners were announced.

 “Chikafa a striker who could not score more than Musharu (Kudakwashe- How Mine) and Sibanda (Charles- Highlanders) is judged to be better than the two, how?” questioned Lameck Polis Maporisa on a popular sports page on Facebook.

 One Dynamos fan, Abasi Yasidu took to the official page of ZPC Kariba on the same network to congratulate them on their success.

“Congratulations ZPC you deserve to scoop all the top awards,” he said.

 Teammate and Goalkeeper of the Season, Tendai Hove was also voted first runners up by the scribes who set to determine the players’ fate a fortnight ago in Harare while captain Limited Chikafa came second.

Saul Chaminuka was voted Coach of the year ahead of record breaking Pasuwa who won his fourth straight league title at the Harare giants.

DeMbare’s rising star, Blessing Moyo managed to pip Walter Musona and Wisdom Mutasa to the Rooky of the year award though many had expected the younger Mutasa or Musona to scoop it after the youngsters led FC Platinum to a fourth place finish on the league table.

Sibanda and Musharu shared the Top goal Scorer award with 12 goals each.

The Mbare outfit can afford a smile though after clinching the premiership trophy permanently as fans hailed the exploits of the outgoing coach, Pasuwa.

“Dai vangoti igare naPasuwa zvachose, ayo madinga anonyepera kuda Dembare awacha!!,” posted Andrea Mbizi Nyakuva while another fan, Godfrey Zawanda declared that it was already destined to be, simply posting,

“Zvakagara zvakanyorwa.”

CROWNING NIGHT

MatchDay

The Castle lager premier league’s soccer star of the year will be crowned in the capital tonight.

The selection committee picked out 11 best players weeks ago, but the best three were kept as a secret and will be revealed tonight.

Other awards to be awarded for tonight are most disciplined team, Referee of the year and Coach of the year with favourites ZPC Kariba’s Saul Chaminuka and four time championship winner Calisto Pasuwa.

The 11 finalists:

Stephen Alimenda,

Themba Ndlovu

Limited Chikafa

Dennis Dauda

Tendai Hove

Thabani Kamusoko

David Kutyauripo

Kuda Musharu

Evans Rusike

Tendai Samanja

Charles Sibanda

  

AUSC Region 5 Games Soccer-fixtures

MatchDay

The matches in the men’s competition will be played over 10 days. The final at Bulawayo’s Barbourfields Stadium (BF) on December 14. 

Junior Women’s Tournament fixtures:
04/12/14 15h30 Zimbabwe vs SA Barbourfields Stadium
05/12/14 16h30 Botswana vs Namibia Luveve Stadium
07/12/14 14h00 SA vs Botswana Luveve Stadium
07/12/14 16h30 Namibia vs Zimbabwe Luveve Stadium
09/12/14 16h30 Zimbabwe vs Botswana Luveve Stadium
09/12/14 16h30 South Africa vs Namibia Barbourfields Stadium

Junior Men’s Tournament fixtures:
04/12/14 18h30 Angola vs Malawi Barbourfields Stadium
04/12/14 18h30 Zambia vs Lesotho Luveve Stadium
05/12/14 14h00 Namibia vs Zambia Luveve Stadium
05/12/14 16h30 Zimbabwe vs M’bique Barbourfields Stadium
05/12/14 16h30 South Africa vs Lesotho Luveve Stadium
05/12/14 19h00 Swaziland vs Angola Barbourfields Stadium
06/12/14 16h30 Zimbabwe vs Swaziland Barbourfields Stadium
06/12/14 16h30 Malawi vs Mozambique Luveve Stadium
07/12/14 16h30 Zambia vs South Africa Barbourfields Stadium
08/12/14 11h00 Angola vs Zimbabwe Luveve Stadium
08/12/14 15h00 M’bique vs Swaziland Luveve Stadium
08/12/14 16h30 South Africa vs Namibia Barbourfields Stadium
09/12/14 14h00 Malawi vs Zimbabwe Barbourfields Stadium
10/12/14 14h00 Namibia vs Lesotho Barbourfields Stadium
10/12/14 16h30 Swaziland vs Malawi Luveve Stadium
10/12/14 16h30 Mozambique vs Angola Barbourfields Stadium
12/12/14 15h00 Win A vs Runner-up B Luveve Stadium
12/12/14 17h00 Runner-up A vs Win B Barbourfields Stadium
13/12/14 15h00 Third-place play-off Barbourfields Stadium
14/12/14 15h00 Final Barbourfields Stadium

Already Team Zimbabwe’s U20 female side has won 2-1 against Namibia and lost 5-0 to favourites South Africa.

The U20 Boys’side drew 1-1 in its first game against Mozambique. Their next match is against Swaziland at BF.

PICTURES: Spectacular opening ceremony in Bulawayo...as games officially kickoff

 

December 7, 2014 will forever go down in the history of regional sport as the day Bulawayo proved to all and sundry that it was indeed capable and ready to host any international event evidenced by the spectacular opening ceremony of the African Union Sports Commission (AUSC) Region 5 Under 20 Games held at Babourfields Stadium.

 The event which was broadcast live on ZBC TV exhibited well choreographed pieces.

 

 Team Namibia passes the famous Soweto stand as Team South Africa makes its way past the VIP Stand.

 Fans cheering Team Zimbabwe on as it made its way onto the field

 Team Zimbabwe being led by the AUSC Games Mascot 'Jumbo'

 The event was officially opened by the Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe who was accompanied by ministers, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Andrew Langa and Simon Khaya Moyo amongst many other dignitaries.

Pasuwa denied third Mbada title

MatchDay

With the football gods seemingly smiling on Championship winning gaffer Callisto Pasuwa, the first to win four league titles on the trot, news that the Mbada Diamonds Cup for the 2014 season had been cancelled might just as well have denied him his third Mbada Cup as he is set to leave the Dynamos dressing room on 31 December when his contract expires.

Pundits had already predicted Dynamos will maintain its 2014 dominance in the Cup which was set to also feature ZPC Kariba FC, Caps United and FC Platinum.

PSL president, Twine Phiri said that they were forced to cancel the Cup in the last minute after the PSL board noted that Mbada will not get adequate mileage from a hastily organized tournament and therefore it had to be postponed to the start of next season.

‘Ras Pasuwa’ as he is affectionally known will miss the fifth edition of the Mbada Cup after having tendered his resignation to the DeMbare board ending, a four year fight with club chairman Kenny Mubaiwa who has said that the club will soon flight an advert in the country’s mainstream media in search of a new coach.

“First of all we need to appreciate what the technical tam did for DeMbare, they were one of the best. We are going to flight an advert for the post even though we feel that the coach should have first consulted the board before making such a decision.

“The club will definitely avoid appointing those who have been discarded elsewhere,” said Mubaiwa who has overseen arguably the best years of Dynamos.

Despite his success, the 43-year-old Pasuwa has not been appreciated by the DeMbare executive which always seemed to be waiting for a slight mistake to relieve him of his duties. They tried it in 2012 and 2014 when he started the league a bit sluggishly and also when he was knocked out of the CAF Champion’s League in 2013 and 2014.

Though Mubaiwa says the club will soon flight newspaper adverts in search of a new coach to replace Callisto Pasuwa, finding a replacement in the same mould as Pasuwa will not be a simple task.

Documents shown to this publication reveal that Dynamos are looking to sign a coach with three years’ experience in the topflight and with no less than a CAF B Coaching License with the deadline being 15 December 2014.

Besides Pasuwa only former Highlanders Coach Kevin Kaindu (UEFA B) and relegated side Bantu Rovers Coach Methemebe Ndlovu (CAF A) have better qualifications. Kaindu has been tipped as one of the front runners though the race is not quite clear yet.

Pasuwa has over the years been referred to as Zimbabwe’s own Pep Guardiola, winning some 15 titles over his three and a half year history at the helm of the 21 time champions’ technical team.

This year alone Pasuwa won the Castle Lager Premiership for the fourth year on the trot, the Bob@90 Cup, TM Super Cup and the recent Gushungo Cup to celebrate President Mugabe’s resounding win in the 2013 harmonized elections.

According to the contract between Pasuwa and Dynamos, his departure leaves no one behind as his trusted lieutenants, Richard Chihoro, Philimon Mutyakureva and goal keepers’ Coach Tichaona Diya will also follow suit.