The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) has announced eleven Soccer Star of the Year 2023 finalists as voted for by the coaches, captains and media selectors. The shortlisted players are:
ANDREW MBEBA (Highlanders Football Club)
ARIEL SIBANDA (Highlanders Football Club)
DONALD MUDADI (Dynamos Football Club)
FORTUNE BINZI (Manica Diamonds Football Club)
MICHAEL CHARAMBA (Chicken Inn Football Club)
NELSON CHADYA (Ngezi Platinum Stars Football Club)
OBRIEL CHIRINDA (Bulawayo Chiefs Football Club)
QADR AMINI (Ngezi Platinum Stars Football Club)
TAKUNDA BENHURA (Ngezi Platinum Stars Football Club)
TANAKA SHANDIRWA (Dynamos Football Club)
TINOTENDA BENZA (Herentals Football Club)
There are people who strongly disagree with the selection of Tino Benza as one of the best 11 players of the season. They believe he didn’t deserve it and question whether coaches and journalists were bribed to vote for him. Tino Benza is a young Zimbabwean footballer who plays for Herentals Football Club, where his father is the owner and player. Tino’s father Innocent Benza is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mutasa Central representing ZANU PF.
Some football fans feel that Tino Benza did not play well and suggest that Chinyengetere should have been selected instead. Some are expressing their doubts about whether those who voted for Benza actually watched the matches this season. Said one commentator:
Asi vanhu vavhotera Tino Benza vainyatsoenda kubhora here this season? [Did the people who voted Tino Benza attend any match this season?]