HARARE - Dynamos star midfielder Denver Mukamba was an elated man after he was crowned the 2012 Castle Soccer Star of the Year on Friday night in the capital.

Mukamba, who also bagged the DeMbare Player of the Year award, came first while Highlanders midfielder Masimba Mambare was the first runners up.

Monomotapa midfield dynamo, Ronald Chitiyo was voted the third best player on the night.

After having been disqualified for running for the award last year due to his bad disciplinary record, the 21-year-old was a relieved man knowing that he had buried the ghost of 2011.

“I feel very happy to be the Soccer Star tonight,” an ecstatic Mukamba said.

“Last year I took the Rookie of the Year award and said to myself that I should keep on working hard.

“I should have been one the 11 finalists last year but I was disqualified because I had accumulated many yellow and red cards.

“It really cost me last year but I worked hard to control my behaviour on the pitch. I used to have many confrontations with opposite players and my grandmother was not happy with it.

“Even my coaches were also not pleased with my behaviour but I’m glad I have worked on it to reach this level where I am today.”

The Highfield-bred star had words of advice for rising young children, who hope to be professional footballers some days.

“Discipline is very important and the young players must focus on playing football alone and nothing else,” he said.  

Mukamba stood shoulders above the rest in the 2012 season as he was the hub of all Dynamos attacks and also managed to score a total 15 goals in all competitions.

His next target now is to earn a move to South Africa or Europe with a deal to take his talent to Bidvest Wits reportedly now imminent.

“My target is to play in Europe. I think I have matured enough in the last two years I have played at Dynamos,” he said.

“Dynamos is a big club in Zimbabwe and I’m happy with everything that I have achieved at the club.

“Bidvest desperately want me to join them. I was supposed to join them at the start of their season but there was just some politics that come into play.

“Roger (De Sa) who wanted to sign me was fired and replaced with another coach who put the move on hold.
“The club have however, renewed their interest and I think anytime from now I will be going there to seal the move.”

Mukamba feels winning the Soccer Star of the Year gong will not put any pressure on his shoulders should he make the move across the Limpopo.

“I feel very privileged to be the Soccer Star and where ever I will go I will have to work hard to show them why I was voted the best player in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“It will not be easy because all eyes will be on me to see how the reigning Zimbabwean Player of the Year performs.”