The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
FOR two years running, there won’t be the traditional Soccer Star of the Year banquet, and Joel Ngodzo, who won it in December 2019, will remain the reigning king of local football for over 20 months.
The inactivity in 2020 and most of 2021 owing to the coronavirus pandemic has forced the prestigious awards to be shelved.
The selection of the cream of local football usually during this time of the year often ignites debate in local football.
For those who are fortunate enough to win the top accolade, the precious moments are unforgettable.
Highlanders legend Zenzo Moyo — the first player to win the Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year award in the new millennium — continues to reminisce on that momentous occasion.
Moyo was crowned Soccer Star of the Year in 2000 after banging 22 goals, helping power Bosso to the second of their four consecutive league championships.
His exploits earned him a move to AEP Paphos of Cyprus, where he spent four years before joining another Cypriot side Olympiakos Nicosia.
He also played for Greek side Atromitos in 2005 and returned home in 2006 to win the league title again with Bosso.
He called time on his career at the end of that season.
Interestingly, only two players from Highlanders — Dazzy Kapenya (in 2002) and Moyo — have won the Soccer Star of the Year award since the turn of the millennium.
Highlanders have also not won the league title since 2006 when Moyo and company shrugged off the challenge from Motor Action to win the race.
“That’s a poor statistic for a big club like Bosso,” Moyo told The Sunday Mail Sport.
Now 45, he is back in the City of Kings where has served as Bulawayo City vice chairperson for the past six years.
“I still cherish the 2000 Soccer Star award big time, even though I won it some 20 or so years ago. It wasn’t easy back then to win the Soccer Star of the Year award considering the abundant talent that was there.
“It also feels nice to be the first player to win the award in the new millennium.
“However, nothing has changed in my life because of that achievement, because right now I have to pay to watch Highlanders play in a game that I feel I contributed a lot.”
Moyo formed a fearsome strike partnership with Thabani Masawi in a talented Highlanders squad that also had skipper Thulani “Biya” Ncube, Johannes Ngodzo, Blessing Gumiso, Bekithemba Ndlovu, Joel Lupahla, Kapenya, the late Richard Choruma and Gift Lunga Jr.
Highlanders won four straight league titles between 1999 and 2002, and only Dynamos (2011-2014) have achieved that feat in the Premiership era.
“There is a big difference between the Highlanders that we played for and the current one because back then, most of the players were born in Bosso.
“We never joined the team, we were born in the system. We understood the culture of the team inside out and we played for the team with all our hearts. It was rare to hear of player strikes, because sometimes it was about putting the club first.
“But, with the current generation, you hear that players are striking for bus fare. Yes, players should be taken care of, this is their job and they need to feed their families, but sometimes you find that some incidents are caused by the fact that players do not care about the badge.”
The former Zimbabwe international also recalled Highlanders’ blockbuster league clashes with Dynamos in the early 2000s.
In the year 2000, Dynamos won 3-0 before holding Bosso to a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture.
“You would develop goosebumps because of fear ahead of clashes against Dynamos.”
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“It wasn’t easy playing Dynamos but it was also interesting in the sense that at Highlanders it was inculcated into us that you couldn’t win a league championship without beating DeMbare.
“But the battles were intense, high-pressure games that we endured.”
In one game at Barbourfields Stadium, Moyo was entrusted with the duty of taking the penalty towards the Soweto End, but the striker chickened out due to pressure and instead offered the ball to Thulani Ncube.
“I looked at the crowd in the Soweto Stand as I was holding the ball and suddenly I couldn’t properly locate the goal posts; they seemed to have been swallowed by the noise that was coming from the stands.
“Something told me from inside I wasn’t ready for the task. I chickened out!”
Moyo thinks PSL clubs have improved in terms of preparations for games and use of technology.
However, he feels playing standards have plummeted.
“In terms of preparations, yes, things have improved big time. Nowadays players travel for matches in luxury coaches.
“Back then we used to travel long distances in Toyota Sprinters on the same day of the match. These days some teams even camp in nice hotels.
“But in terms of quality or standards, things have gone downwards. The standards of play and competition have deteriorated big time.”
The former Boss player also led the line for the national team at his peak, and has some few words for his beloved Warriors.
Zimbabwe play Ethiopia in their last World Cup group qualifier this afternoon, having exited from the competition after only four rounds of action.
The Warriors have endured their worst World Cup qualifying campaign and at one point under the sacked Zdravko Logarusic, they registered one win in 14 matches.
Loga has since been replaced by Norman Mapeza, but the FC Platinum coach is also still searching for the first win of his latest dance with the Warriors.
“The national team is bigger than an individual, so pointing fingers at each other is not going to help. People need to find each other, pull in the same direction and start laying the foundation for the future.
“The win-at-all-costs mentality is archaic. In football, you need to have a proper plan in place. You will not reap where you did not sow.
“Football starts from the juniors upwards, not vice versa. We need to invest more in junior development.
“Players should also be selected on merit; that way, we will get to see deserving players representing the nation.”
