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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

WALTER Musona has had a dream Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.

He has been central to FC Platinum’s successful quest to defend the league title for the fourth season running.

It’s probably his best term since he burst into the professional football cycles more than eight years ago.

Yet he was rejected as a below average player in the South African football system.

He even struggled to assert himself at FC Platinum in the initial stages of his reunion with the Zvishavane-based platinum miners.

But once he got into groove, he never looked back and he has been one of the most consistent players in the tier.

He, along with CAPS United’s William Manondo, is a front-runner for the Soccer Star of the Year accolade.

He credits coach Norman Mapeza for helping find himself again.

The forward finished the season on 14 goals, including the opener he scored in the miners’ victory against Cranborne Bullets in their last match of the season at Mandava on Saturday. FC Platinum were formally crowned the Castle Lager Premiership champions after that game, three weeks after they secured the title for the fourth consecutive time.

The accolade is especially key to Musona who was winning it for the first time in his career.

“I am very happy for winning the league title. I think it is one of the things I was looking forward to when I came back to FC Platinum,” said Musona.

“I think we have done well as a team with the help of our technical team.

“It was never easy sustaining the push in a league which has some of the best teams in the country. We had to be consistent.”

Musona said the players kept on pushing each other while implementing every tactic hammered on them by Mapeza.

“The secret was about remaining focused. We were playing according to instructions from the coaches. I think that’s how we managed to find our way to this league title.

“I think I have had one of my best seasons in my career. On that note, I would like to salute my teammates, we have always been pushing each other, we have been encouraging each other on and off the pitch. That carried us through.” While Musona is a happy man after winning his maiden league title and with brighter prospects of bagging the Soccer Star of the Year crown, he has his head on his shoulder. He is disappointed that he failed to win the Golden Boot award after falling short to catch up with his Soccer Star of the Year award rival Manondo.

Musona left it too late to pursue Manondo who led the goal-scoring charts for most of the season. The former Polokwane City forward said he is angry with himself for missing out on one of the most prestigious individual awards in the domestic league.

“I think I should be angry with myself. I was missing chances game after game. You would see me getting two, three chances in every game but I could sometimes score just once,” said Musona.

“I should have scored more goals along the way. Had that happened, we could have been talking about a different story.”

Nevertheless the former Young Warriors man is keen to continue with his turn around adventure at FC Platinum.

He knows he had fallen into oblivion, thanks to erratic form in South Africa over the past few years.

“I just hope to stay here (at FC Platinum). I am enjoying my game again and I am looking forward to keep on soaring. I am thankful to FC Platinum for giving me a platform.”