Antipas, Matore 17-year soccer romance ends

A RELATIONSHIP is always made in Heaven, perfected on earth!

So are football affiliations where we have seen coaches, players and management with their long-time lieutenants.

And for close to two decades, between 1996 and 2012, Arsene Wenger worked hand in glove with Pat Rice at Arsenal. Their blend helped the Gunners bag three English Premier League titles.

Celebrated Jose Mourinho worked with long assistant Rui Faria for 17 years, in what reportedly became one of the best manager-assistant combinations in world football.

The two gaffers won the Uefa Champions League title at FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan before parting ways six years ago when the former was snatched by Manchester United. Wantaway Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Zeljko Buvac’s long working relationship was fruitful.

The pair worked together at Borussia Dortmund, Mainz and Liverpool from 2001 to 2018, before Buvac quit the You Will Never Walk Alone camp. Closer to home, there have also been a plethora of noteworthy coach-assistant blends.

At FC Platinum ex-Warriors coach and captain Norman Mapeza seems to have established a good working combination with Daniel Veremu that saw them help their team clinch the league title four times on the trot, a development that was previously achieved by Highlanders and Dynamos.

Legendary Sunday Chidzambwa and the late Rahman Gumbo did well together with the Warriors.

Gumbo also shone with Benjamin Moyo and Tendai Chikuni as his assistants.

Joey “Mafero” Antipas and Prince Matore’s working connection has been one of the longest in the domestic Premiership.

Antipas coached Matore at Motor Action before the latter retired in 2007 to take up the assistant coach’s role at the now-defunct Mighty Bulls.

The former Zimbabwe coach left Motor Action in 2008 but the duo reunited in 2009, when Antipas bounced back.

Since then, the Antipas-Matore combination thrived for years, except for six months in 2013, when the former left Motor Action for Chicken Inn. Matore was to follow in January 2014.

The two won two Castle Lager Premier Soccer League titles with Motor Action (2010) and Chicken Inn (2015).

They led both teams in the Caf Champions League and also kept their relationship intact when Antipas migrated to South Africa, where he was appointed AmaZulu coach in May 2016. Antipas and Matore returned to Chicken Inn in January 2018.

Fast forward to 2024, the two respected gaffers are no longer together after Matore was shown the exit door by Gamecocks with his assistant Farai Tawachera.

Matore and Tawachera had taken charge of Gamecocks after Antipas was re-assigned to the post of club technical director, while Matore was appointed head coach.

The Antipas-Matore relationship in the technical area has lasted for 17 years and it is no wonder that the former Warriors gaffer openly says he greatly misses his understudy.

“Prince had been a long-lasting friend of mine and we are still great friends. We are professionals, personally, I miss Prince but life goes on. We have to continue with work but Prince is a coach who will be snapped up by any club. I will always wish him well. It’s now a new chapter for him and me. I wish him all the best. It has been a fruitful relationship, a bond I will always treasure so much. I will always respect his professional approach to the game,” said Antipas.

Matore, a former Darryn T and Black Aces defender, who once played in Poland said he learnt a lot from Antipas.

“There was and there is still great trust in us. We still talk daily. Antipas is a mentor and a father figure to me. He took me through the mill and I’m very much grateful for the helping hand he gave me. He is a great coach and I will always cherish our relationship,” said Matore in an interview from his home town Chegutu.

Chicken Inn have since roped in ex-CAPS United coach Fungai “Tostao” Kwashi and club legend Guide Goddard to be Antipas’ first and second assistants respectively.