Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
A DECADE ago, Joey Antipas guided Chicken Inn to a historical league championship, and was also named Coach of the Year, in what was a momentous occasion for the Bulawayo side.
The Gamecocks clinched the title in only their fourth season in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League and were rewarded further as their midfielder Danny “Deco” Phiri was crowned Soccer Star of the Year.
It was really a fruitful 2015 season for Chicken Inn who also had goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze being chosen as the best gloveman in the league.
But time flies and changes a lot of things along the course.
Fast forward to 2025, Chicken Inn are now facing serious relegation challenges.
They sit just a point above the relegation zone with seven games to go before the season ends.
The Gamecocks remained stuck on 30 points after the 1-2 defeat they suffered against MWOS at Ngoni last weekend.
That was their 11th loss in 27 matches, one of their worst performances at this stage of the season since their promotion into the top flight in 2011.
Antipas cut a dejected figure after that loss against MWOS but the veteran gaffer still had the courage to declare that his team would not sink.
“We just have to live with what’s happening, of course we are always hoping to post good results.
“We keep learning from each game, we have to keep our heads up and keep going,” said Antipas.
With just a point above Bikita Minerals, who occupy the last relegation slot, at a time Dynamos who are also in the drop zone have picked up form, the situation could get worse for Chicken Inn.
“We have to pull ourselves out of this mess that we put ourselves in.
“I believe we will do it.
“For us to get out of this matrix, we have to have a strong finish to the season.
“I believe that we can do it,” Antipas told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
The veteran coach who also won the Premiership title with the now defunct Motor Action coach, thinks his team have been playing well.
He also believes that their mid-season acquisitions will have an impact in the last seven games as they have added depth and some grit to their side.
Some of the new players who arrived at the Gamecocks include last season’s Golden Boot winner with Highlanders Lynoth Chikuhwa and Maxwell Saungweme.
The latter was impressive against MWOS last weekend, albeit on a losing cause.
“We need to put things right but we will definitely survive. It’s all about the hard work and believing that we can do it,” said Antipas.
“I think that with the squad that we have now, it’s more formidable than what we had before. We just have to work hard and push ourselves out of this zone,”
This afternoon Antipas will briefly shift focus from the relegation woes to the Chibuku Super Cup in which Chicken Inn play ZPC Kariba in the first round at Nyamhunga.
