The ManicaPost
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA president, Philip Chiyangwa, will finally come down to the eastern border City of Mutare tomorrow (Saturday) since his election into office two years ago to officiate at the 2017 Eastern Region end of season awards ceremony. Captain Fiasco, as Chiyangwa is widely referred to, was elected as ZIFA president in December 2015, but since then he had never set foot in Mutare, at least for football administration business.
ZIFA Eastern Region secretary, Simba Wisdom, confirmed that Chiyangwa will be the guest of honour at the regional football awards ceremony. Wisdom said the award would also see the Eastern Region Division One League Soccer Star of the Year, Coach of the Year, Golden Boot award as well as the best 11 players of the season receiving different awards.
“We will have the 2017 ZIFA Eastern Region end of season awards at a local hotel here in Mutare on Saturday. We have agreed with ZIFA president, Philip Chiyangwa, to be the guest of honour during the awards ceremony. He has actually confirmed his presence, so all things being equal he is the one who will officiate.
“We will award the best 11 players of the 2017 season in the region, Soccer Star of the Year, Coach of the Year, Administrator of the Year as well as Golden Boot award winners,” said Wisdom.
The former Buffaloes player, said the regional football administrative body tasked coaches in the league to select their two best players from other teams and one from their own team as a criterion for selection of the best 11.
Mutare City Rovers, who won the 2017 Eastern Region Division One League championship, dominated the best 11 players’ of the season list with three of their own — Evans “Morroco” Chikwaikwai, Stephen “Dealer” Sibanda and goalkeeper, Godfrey Chisango — among the best 11.
Farai Mugumwa of Tenax, Anelka Chivandire of Africa Trust, Passmore Mpinganjere of Renco Mine, Prime Rangers’ Godfrey Moyo, Mucheke Pirates’ Gerald Bero, Nigel Mudimu of Surrey Abattoirs, Tinashe Kabanda of Mwenezana and Buffaloes’ Takunda Jeffrey are the other players on the list of the Eastern Region Division One best players of the 2017 season.