Antipas speaks on coaches

CHICKEN INN head coach Joey Antipas says he is looking forward to a fruitful working relationship with new members of their technical team in the 2024 season and beyond.

Antipas now heads a new look Gamecocks technical department that now has ex-CAPS United assistant coach Fungai Kwashi and the Simbisa Brand-sponsored side’s legend Guide Goddard.

Kwashi and Goddard joined the Gamecocks first-team coaching department early this year as first and second assistant coaches respectively.

This was after Chicken Inn parted ways with their 2023 season head coach Prince Matore and his assistant Farai Tawarechera. The latter is now with newly promoted Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side Arenel Movers.

“Kwashi has come in. He is a good coach. He specialises in strikers and midfield attack. So it is good to have him on board and also Guide Goddard has the ingredients to make a very good coach. Last season, he did well with our developmental side which was promoted from the Zifa Bulawayo Division Two League to Division One. As such, we are looking forward to a good season,” said Antipas.

Goddard, a former Zimbabwe youth international, played as a holding midfielder and centreback at Gamecocks for over 10 years. Antipas and Matore’s working relationship 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.

But the latter followed him 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 Confederation of African Football (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 only to separate at the beginning of this year.

Meanwhile, former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Cup Kings CAPS United will not replace Kwashi who was one of the club’s assistant coaches’ to Lloyd Chitembwe.