Antipas out to flex muscle
TWO-TIME Castle Lager Premiership title-winning coach Joey Antipas is determined to turn back the hand of time as he returns to guide f0ormer champions Chicken Inn in the battle for honours in the upcoming 2024 league season.
After spending one year on the sidelines, Antipas feels rejuvenated and ready to challenge for the title he won in 2010 with Motor Action and in 2015 as Chicken Inn’s head coach. The gaffer was forced to sit on the sidelines last year after ZIFA had barred all coaches without CAF A licence from sitting on the bench as head coaches of topflight teams, as part of the CAF standardisation programme.
The rule has since been relaxed and Antipas finds himself back in contention and with more determination to succeed.
“I would say I am hungry for success. I have been away from the dugout for one season. I missed it and I’m glad to be back definitely I want to chase honours. I know that competition will be very tight but I want to chase, I want to give it my all,” said Antipas.
Antipas served as technical director at
Chicken Inn last year with his prodigy Prince Matore running the show.
But the Gamecocks turned to Antipas again after failing to finish in the top four for the first time since 2015 when they won their only league title under the veteran former Zimbabwe coach.
“Last season I played more of the role of the technical director,” said Antipas.
“I didn’t get too much involved in the coaching side of it, but I was advising the coaches. I thought that we didn’t do too bad because new coaches were coming in and new players as well.
“So it took some time for the team to get going but for me, it’s good to be back in the office. You know when you are part of the game, you miss the game, especially in the dugout.
“So I am happy to be back and all I can do is give my best and hopefully we can change our fortunes around and have a good season.”
Chicken Inn finished seventh last season. They managed 11 wins, 16 draws, and seven defeats and in the process amassed 49 points, 17 adrift from eventual champions Ngezi Platinum Stars.
The Gamecocks have been busy with the pre-season preparations and recently they conducted a three-day bonding camp held at Matobo National Park where Antipas emerged confident of his charges and the fight they anticipate to give in the league marathon.
“We always want to win games. As a coach, if you can win games every week, it will be brilliant. But you know football being football you cannot win every game.
“But one for sure is that we will be up there, we are going to be firing away. Our pre-season has been good. I thought we brought in some good players who will bring value to the team and all I can say is that we will be there fighting.
“To predict our season, all the teams have beefed up so we will be expecting heavy competition. But we will be there,” said Antipas. To bolster their squad, the Gamecocks reunited with former club captain Danny “Deco” Phiri, Innocent Mucheneka, and utility player Brendon Rendo.
They also managed to lure Joseph Tulani from CAPS United and pint-sized Elshaamar Farasi who thrived on loan at Highlanders from Bulawayo Chiefs last season.
They also added striker Brighton Makopa from Hwange, ex-Dynamos and CAPS
United defender Brandon Mpofu, and goalkeeper Issah Ali. The Gamecocks however lost midfield kingpin Richard Hachiro to champions Ngezi Platinum Stars and Shepherd Mhlanga to former champions FC Platinum.
“Richard for me is a big loss but I have replaced him with another very good player and I have also brought in a couple of other good players and I can see that the team is beginning to balance.
“It’s beginning to take shape. So we just have to give 100 percent in every game we have to play, especially if we want to win honours. So, we are up for it,” said Antipas.
Chicken Inn retained the services of goalkeepers Donovan Bernard and Pride Zendera, defenders Dominic Jaricha, Nelson Ketala, Dumoluhle Lunga, Vincent Moyo, Itai Mabunu, Arthur Chinda, and club captain Xolani “Lolo” Ndlovu.
Other seasoned players who committed to the club are skillful George Majika, Marlvin Hwata, Genius Mutungamiri, hard-running Brian Muza, and last year’s Soccer Star of the Year finalist Michael Charamba. The Gamecocks will open their campaign against giants CAPS United this weekend.
ATHLETICS team captain Gerren Muwishi is confident of good fortunes at the upcoming African Games running from March 8 to 23 in Accra, Ghana.
Zimbabwe is competing in 10 sports codes at the continental showpiece including athletics. They are fielding 83 athletes.
“It’s great, being able to represent your country is sentimental for everyone because you are putting your country’s flag out there. The country is resting their hopes on you, so obviously every time you want to represent the country it’s a great feeling,”said Muwishi.
Athletics was part of Team Zimbabwe in 2019 and found the going tough at the Games staged in Morocco. Muwishi will compete in 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The 4x100m relay team ran one of the leading times last month when coming first at the All-Comers Meet in Ndola, Zambia. The team was made up of Muwishi, Dickson Kamungeremu, Leeford Zuze, and Ngoni Makusha and they ran a time of 39.35 seconds. The athletes are all part of Team Zimbabwe and will also compete in individual events at the African Games.*
“It is very motivating. For the relays, we are expecting something special because considering that when we ran that time, people had come out of individual events, there will be a bit of fatigue but we still managed to pull off a time like that.
“So imagine if the guys are fresh and raring to go. So definitely the 4x100m is going to be very special for us this year. It’s going to be our starting point for a very long journey towards the season.”For athletics, the African Games are also a qualifying competition for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe is hoping some of their athletes will run qualifying times in the individual events as well as the relay teams. Muwishi said their preparations for the Games have been good and the relay teams have been together for some time, which he believes will come in handy when they compete in Ghana. “Preparations are great, for the 4x100m we train together as a team. We have been together for the longest time. So obviously there is team chemistry, everyone knows each other, and people are getting together, on and off the field to just clear that chemistry for the relays.
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