Muparati Named Soccer Star of The YearHARARE — Tawanda Muparati was on Friday night named the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Star of the Year capping a perfect season for the Dynamos midfielder who led the Harare giants to win the 2013 championship. Muparati’s name will now be engraved among some of the best footballers ever to have graced the Zimbabwean football fields. Wild celebrations followed the announcement in Harare Saturday night. Muparati joins the likes of the legendary George Shaya, Shacky Tauro, Stanley Ndunduma, George Rollo, Peter Nyama, Ephert Lungu, Ephraim Chawanda and Peter Ndlovu among some of the previous winners of the prestigious award. More important, Muparati will now be held in the same esteem as Shaya, Moses Chunga, David Mandigora, Japhet Mparutsa, Memory Mucherahowa, Tauya Murewa, and Ernest Kamba after leading Dynamos to their third successive league title. Even Caps United owner and chairman of the Premier Soccer League Twine Phiri could not resist celebrating Muparati’s achievement in leading Dynamos to their third league championship in a row. Muparati also became the third Dynamos player in a row to take the Castle Soccer Star of the year Award following hard on the heels of Washington Arubi in 2011 and Denver Mukamba in 2012. The PSL sponsors Delta Beverages’ marketing director Maxen Karomba also took the time to congratulate the players and Dynamos for a historic occasion. Dynamos will also take heart in the fact that Muparati is going nowhere. He has pledged his commitment to the club for the 2014 domestic season as well as the Caf Champions League. For winning the Castle Soccer Star of the Year Award, Muparati had an early and perfect Christmas present of $5,000 while his two runners up Silas Songani and Kuda Mahachi received $3,000 and $2,000 each respectively. The other eight finalists each got $1,000. Football writers, coaches and the Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe made up the voting panel which met November 23 to come up with the best performers of the season. While the votes for the 11 finalists were counted and announced immediately, those for the top three and for the Coach of the Year were sealed in an envelope and only counted ahead of the banquet. The 11 finalists were George Chigova, Tawanda Muparati, Gift Bello (all Dynamos), Silas Songani (Harare City), Charles Sibanda (FC Platinum), Eric Chipeta (Hwange), Kuda Mahachi, Tendai Ndoro (both Chicken Inn), Menard Mupera (How Mine), Hardlife Zvirekwi (Caps United), Munyaradzi Diya (Highlanders).