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Tadious Manyepo–Sports Reporter
CHICKEN INN coach Joey “Mafero” Antipas has admitted his charges failed to pitch up in their 0-3 defeat to WhaWha on Saturday but is, at the same time, excited by how competitive the Castle Lager Premiership football championship race is turning out to be.
The 2015 champions were brought down to earth by a WhaWha side that has some newly-found zeal after coach Luke Jukulile-Petros made several key signings at the end of last month.
Chicken Inn, who went into Saturday’s match at Ascot topping the Premiership table, dropped one rung down, paving the way for Dynamos to go to the top of the table on goal difference.
Tinei Chitora, Raymond Horonga and Jayden Barake scored for the hosts.
And the veteran gaffer Antipas, whose team remains one of the odds-on favourites to clinch the league title this season despite Saturday’s defeat, is excited with the level of competition in the league.
“I think we got it wrong all over, we did absolutely nothing right. We failed to pitch up for the party, it was a nightmare on our behalf. We were just out of sorts (against Whawha),” said Antipas.
“We never underrated our opponents, it just goes down to our attitude. We failed to put on the shift and we were duly punished.
“We made shocking defensive errors as well, it was a nightmare for us.
“We lacked concentration, we were not in it, I mean totally.
“To be honest, we deserved to get out of Ascot empty-handed because we didn’t play well.
“WhaWha played well, nothing should be taken away from them, they were better than us, in every aspect, we struggled and we ended up losing.
“WhaWha deserved the victory and we also deserved the defeat because our displays were different, our attitude was different as well. We never showed the zeal as a team.”
The former Warriors mentor said competition is good for the local game as that gives value to the fans who have been shunning away from it, citing lack of quality.
“It is turning out to be an intriguing race, the other teams are coming into the picture as well. This is good for the league, certainly good.
“We definitely don’t want to have a situation whereby one team runs away with the league in a race that should have many competitors. So this is good for our league, to have several teams pitching up, competing at the top, that is what makes our football respectable and attractive.
“This should also be very good for the game’s fans. Teams are competing, there is Dynamos, Chicken Inn, Manica Diamonds, Triangle and all those teams are up there and you can’t also rule out those at the middle of the table because the competition is tough.
As a coach, you obviously want to see good football from your team but it is something very good as well to have more teams competing at the same level rather than enjoying some whitewash.
“The more competitive the league is, the more attractive it becomes and the more enjoyable it will be so the race is quite exciting,” Antipas said.
The Gamecocks coach maintains Saturday’s defeat was only a hump on the road and his players should quickly forget about it. Dynamos now lead the championship race with 23 points, the same as Chicken Inn but with a superior goal difference.
DeMbare picked a point on the road in a goalless draw against Benjani Mwaruwari’s Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab on the same day.
Online Reporter