Nelson Chadya, goalkeeper for Ngezi Platinum Stars FC, set a new record for the most clean sheets in a single Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season on Saturday. The achievement occurred during his team’s 3-0 victory against WhaWha FC at the National Sports Stadium, marking Chadya’s 19th clean sheet of the 2021-2022 campaign.
The match secured the record for Chadya, who surpassed the previous benchmark of 18 clean sheets held by former Dynamos FC goalkeeper Washington Arubi since the 2011 season. Goals from Qadr Amini, Delic Murimba, and Tinotenda Murasiranwa secured the win for Ngezi Platinum Stars, ensuring Chadya did not concede a goal and officially broke the 11-year-old record.
In statements to local media following the match, Chadya credited his teammates and the technical staff for the collective effort involved in the defensive achievement.
“I would like to thank the Almighty for this milestone,” Chadya was quoted as saying. “It means a lot to me, my family, and the club as a whole. This is not a one-man show; it’s a result of teamwork. I would like to thank my fellow players, the coaches, and everyone at the club for the support.”
Chadya’s performance throughout the season made him a finalist for the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. His record-setting season was a key component of Ngezi Platinum Stars’ campaign, which concluded with the team finishing in fourth place in the league standings.
The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is the top professional division of the Zimbabwe Football Association. The clean sheet record is a widely recognized statistic in the league, tracking the number of matches a goalkeeper completes without conceding a goal. Arubi’s 2011 record with Dynamos was a long-standing high-water mark for defensive excellence in Zimbabwean domestic football until Chadya’s performance this season.
