Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas is not new to pressure and winning the domestic league championship.
BY THANDIWE MOYO The former Motor Action and Warriors assistant coach managed to hold on to the top spot on the local league to pip Harare giants Dynamos to the league title in 2010 with the now-defunct Mighty Bulls.
Speaking to NewsDay Sport from his Bulawayo base yesterday, Antipas said despite the pressure that they have been getting from Castle Lager Premier Soccer League teams that have been fighting tooth and nail to dislodge them, they will not give in.
The GameCocks have led the pack for the better part of the season and are currently five points clear of second-placed FC Platinum with 49 points.
Defending champions Dynamos are seven points behind the log leaders and they face a team that trounced them 3-0 in their own backyard in their first meeting, a match that would have a huge bearing in the championship’s destination at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Their main objective is to beat Dynamos and derail their title defence aspirations.
Dynamos are aiming for their fifth successive league title, but their hopes are diminishing as Chicken Inn continue to collect points. “Every game is a big game, we just have to be organised and do well,” Antipas said.
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“We have been in this situation before. We are going to take each game as it comes and we are not going to buckle under pressure,” he said.
Of the Dynamos match, Antipas said: “They are the defending champions and we respect them. However, in football you cannot be the champions all the time.”
Antipas said even though they beat Dynamos in Harare in the reverse fixture, they are expecting a tough match.
“We beat them in Harare, but this is a new game altogether. They will come here prepared. We want to go out there and enjoy our game. I have confidence in my players and they have continued to improve from last year’s performance,” he said.
Last year Chicken Inn finished the season sixth with 44 points and their position on the log this year and performance is a major improvement.
Antipas said the return of Lawrence Mhlanga and Tafadzwa Kutinyu to the squad will give them more options in defence and midfield, while Danny Phiri, who was also suspended, is back.
Mhlanga and Kutinyu were with the Young Warriors in Congo Brazzaville for the African Games.
Chicken Inn will be without Passmore Bernard, who is serving a one-match suspension for accumulating three yellow cards.
Dynamos won 5-1 their last league match against WhaWha before regrouping to boot FC Platinum out of the Chibuku Super Cup, a week after they were trounced 3-1 by the platinum miners at Mandava.
