Highlanders duo tipped for top football awards
By Tichaona Sibanda
4 November 2006

Inspirational Highlanders midfielder Honour Gombani is being heavily tipped to win the 2006 Innscor Soccer star of the year award. His coach Methembe Ndlovu, who guided the Bulawayo soccer giants to their seventh league title in 10 years, is on line to grab the coach of the year award.

The country’s sports writers met in KweKwe over the weekend and chose Gombami and two of his team mates, Gilbert Banda and bustling striker Obadiah Tarumbwa, to be among the 11 finalists. The winner will be announced on 15 December.

The awards include that of the referee of the year. Shortlisted in this category are Bulawayo based referee Thabani Mkantsho and Mutare’s Kenny Marange.

The other eight soccer finalists are Motor Action’s Clemence Mutawu, the Hwange duo of Obert Moyo and Carrington Gomba. Philip Marufu and Cuthbert Malajila from Chapungu also made it to the final 11. Railstars’ lone shining star Master Masitara was also one of the lesser known players to make it as was Dynamos’ top gun Sebastian Mutizirwa.
Buymore stopper Nkhululeko Dhlamini made it as the only goalkeeper on the calendar.

The controversial issue of suspensions has come back again to haunt the selection process. Lazarus Muhoni, Francis Chandida, Givemore Manuela and Ronald Sibanda, were among a list of players ineligible for selection for various reasons, amongst them suspension.

Zinedine Zidane, the former captain of France, is among those nominated for this year’s FIFA World Player of the Year award despite ending his career being ejected from the World Cup final against Italy for head butting Marco Materazzi in the chest.

He also walked away with the FIFA Golden Ball Award as the outstanding player of the World Cup despite being sent off in that epic final penalties shootout defeat by the Azzuri in July.

Sports analyst Natty Zvimba has urged sports writers in Zimbabwe to amend their rules in an effort not to punish players excessively.