The Sunday Mail
WITH relegation memories lingering in his mind since his only premiership dance with Lancashire Steel, unassuming ZPC Kariba defender Dennis Dauda returned to the big boys’ feeding trough with a thicker skin which has not only saved him from the drop but saw him crowned the best player in the league.
The 26-year-old Kwekwe-bred star was part of the Lancashire Steel team that was relegated at the end of the 2008 season and the then top flight debutant probably thought he was not destined for the grand stage.
Like a champion, as was confirmed at a colourful ceremony on Friday night, which saw him breaking Dynamos’ three-year-old stranglehold on local football’s biggest individual gong, Dauda bided his time sharpening his witty in the serene vicinities of Division One before having another go at it exactly half a decade later.
Not even the unfortunate passing on of his mother on August 16, would slow him down as he went on to not only win the best player accolade in the league, but did so with a rare clean reputation of having seen no card, be it red or yellow — quite a remarkable fit for a central defender. Even outgoing soccer star Tawanda Muparati was full of praise for the former DStv Rangers defender and said he was happy to bequeath the $6 000 award to a “worthy winner”.
“He is a deserving Soccer Star of the Year what he did throughout the season was there for everyone to see. It’s even remarkable for a defender to go for the entire season without been shown not even a single yellow card, it shows he is a smart defender. I am happy to be bequeathing the crown to a worthy winner,” said Muparati.
But Dauda is not the type to swim in glory and take all the plaudits. “I think if there is one man who should take credit for the recognition we (ZPC Kariba) got today (Friday) then it can only be our captain Tendai Hove.
“He is such a demanding fellow and an excellent leader who would always clamour for that extra push, never giving up even when glaring at impending defeat for as long as there still is room to fight back,” said the 2014 Soccer Star Of The Year.
On his chances of being crowned prior to the actual coronation the spiky haired said, “I had a feeling I was going to take it but obviously I also had a few doubts considering the efforts of the other 11 finalists. Anxiety, however, got the better of me as the announcement neared.
“I am very happy I eventually won it and I promise to work even harder next season and retain the crown if I get another chance to play. The awards are for the team, it means a lot to us and having started the season as underdogs with the aim of just avoiding relegation I think it shows the level of organisation that we had in the team,” said Dauda. Naturally, speculation about his future was going to prop up amid reported interest from Bidvest Wits of South Africa, but the defender says nothing of that sought is on the table.
“My manager will be trying to get me a team from outside the country but for now there is nothing has come my way,” he said.
Hove, who was crowned 1st runner-up and Goalkeeper of The Year over and above being deputised by teammate Limited Chikafa and watching his coach walk away with the Coach Of The Year accolade, was still not pacified from the agony of missing out on the league crown on the last day of the campaign.
“We are happy our efforts have been rewarded, but nothing will ever console us from the near league miss we endured, not even this clean sweep of awards,” said Hove.
