Antipas rallies his troops

Sport
CHICKEN Inn coach Joey Antipas yesterday urged his troops to work hard to maintain their impressive start in the season which has seen them top the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League pile for a couple of weeks before Triangle took over.
Joey Antipas
Joey Antipas

CHICKEN Inn coach Joey Antipas yesterday urged his troops to work hard to maintain their impressive start in the season which has seen them top the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League pile for a couple of weeks before Triangle took over.

BY THANDIWE MOYO

The Gamecocks also have 20 points, the same as the log leaders, albeit with an inferior goal difference having played out a 1-1 draw at the weekend.

Triangle’s goal difference was boosted by their 6-1 win over Whawha at the weekend.

Chicken Inn made a big statement of intent when they hammered champions Dynamos 3-0 in their own backyard and since then they have attracted a lot of attention. The Antipas-coached side is taking each game as it comes and is wary of getting ahead of themselves.

“We need to work hard and we have to try and maintain our position on the log. This will only come by if we work very hard,” said Antipas.

This weekend Chicken Inn take on Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium with the hope of slaying another giant. Bosso have struggled for consistency, especially when playing at home, making them vulnerable to the Gamecocks.

Highlanders have been blowing hot and cold and while they have picked four points in the last three matches, only one was achieved at their favoured Barbourfields.

“Every game is a big game and we will treat the match against Highlanders as any other. Though this is a local derby and they are difficult to predict, Highlanders have not been playing well, but they are getting there,” said Antipas.

Chicken Inn will be without captain Danny “Deco” Phiri who is with the Warriors ahead of the Cosafa Senior Men’s Challenge in South Africa.

Antipas is pleased that so far they do not have any injury concerns in the squad and is hoping that come Sunday, bar Phiri, he will have a full squad to pick his team from.

Chicken Inn have shown that they are capable of getting goals from any position on the field with Edmore Chirambadare, Mitchelle Katsvairo, Clement Matawu, Thabani Goredema, Lawrence Mhlanga and Devine Lunga having all been on the scoresheet.

Last season Chicken Inn collected four points against Highlanders drawing 1-1 and winning 1-0.

Chirambadare is Chicken Inn’s top goal scorer with five goals and is only one behind leading marksman Raphael Manuvire of ZPC Kariba with six.