The 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Star of the Year, Washington “Navigator” Navaya, has made a bold switch from TelOne to Midlands newcomers Hardrock ahead of the 2026 season.
It is a move that has raised eyebrows, and expectations.
Hardrock are preparing for their maiden season in the Premier Soccer League, and they have secured the league’s most lethal striker from last term. The big question now is simple: can Navaya reproduce that blistering form?
A Monumental 2025 Season
Navaya produced one of the most memorable individual campaigns in recent Zimbabwean football history.
He finished the season with:
- 17 league goals (Golden Boot winner)
- 7 assists
- 24 direct goal contributions
Week after week, he delivered.
His consistency earned him multiple Player of the Month accolades, including the FUZ March Player of the Month award (presented in April). At the TelOne FC Awards, he swept three major honours:
- Player of the Season
- Players’ Player of the Season
- Top Goal Scorer
It was dominance, not popularity.
His performances even attracted interest beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. Newly promoted South African Betway Premiership side Durban City invited him for trials, underlining how highly rated he had become.
National Recognition
Navaya’s club form translated into international recognition.
He earned his first senior cap for the Warriors in a friendly against Algeria in Qatar, a milestone moment for the former Highlanders forward. Being named in the Best XI of the season further cemented his status among the elite.
He also won the Soccer Star of the Year ahead of Emmanuel Jalai, Emmanuel Ziocha, Tymon Machope and Kevin Moyo.
By numbers and influence, he stood tall.
The Hardrock Gamble
The newly promoted side are currently in Botswana fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, which kicks off from March 06–08.
Hardrock’s first test will be a baptism of fire, reigning champions Scottland FC, also known as Mabviravira (A Pool of Fire).
Like Hardrock, Scottland have also been active in the transfer market. The tactical battle between experienced coaches, Norman Mapeza (Scottland FC and Kelvin Kaindu Hardrock FC) will be fascinating, but attention will naturally drift to one man.
The Navigator.
Pressure, Expectations and Reality
Moving from an established system at TelOne to a newly promoted side is never straightforward.
At TelOne, Navaya operated in a settled structure that maximised his strengths, timing of runs, sharp movement inside the box, and calm finishing under pressure.
At Hardrock, everything is new:
- New teammates
- New tactical systems
- New expectations
- A club adjusting to top-flight intensity
Can he adapt quickly?
Seventeen goals set a high benchmark. Defenders now know his threat. Teams will mark him tighter. Space will be limited.
But great strikers evolve.
If Navaya starts strongly, Hardrock instantly become more than survival candidates. They become genuine disruptors.
If he struggles, pressure mounts early, on both player and club.
One thing is certain: the spotlight will follow him.
As the new season approaches, Zimbabwean football waits to see whether Washington “Navigator” Navaya can chart another successful route, this time in Hardrock colours.
The numbers from last season speak loudly.
Now comes the harder part: repeating them.
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