Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
CHICKEN Inn head coach Joey Antipas is urging his squad to end their frustrating winless streak when they host Herentals College at Luveve Stadium on Saturday. The Gamecocks have endured a torrid start to the 2025 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season, failing to secure a single victory in their opening four matches.
Coming off a narrow 1-0 defeat to ZPC Kariba, Chicken Inn finds itself languishing in 16th place on the log with just three points. Their upcoming clash against the unpredictable Students marks their 11th meeting since 2019, with Herentals often proving to be a difficult opponent.
“We are hoping that things will soon turn around. All things will be well, and we should continue working hard as a team. We have not been converting the chances that have been coming our way,” said Antipas, who is desperate to see his side rediscover their scoring touch.
He acknowledged that Herentals have always been a tricky opponent.
“They are not a walkover side, and we are looking forward to a challenging match. We need to come up with a good game plan after working hard at training. Changing our attitude and believing in ourselves will be key. In football, you lose, draw, and win some, but I think it’s now time to break our winless run,” said the former Warriors and Motor Action coach.
Chicken Inn’s struggles this season have seen them settle for goalless draws against Bikita Minerals and Yadah Stars, a 1-1 draw with FC Platinum, and last weekend’s defeat to ZPC Kariba.
Meanwhile, Herentals, who are 10th on the table with five points, have enjoyed a slightly better start. They have registered one win, two draws, and one loss. Despite their mid-table position, Herentals head coach Paul Benza is not underestimating their opponents.
“It’s a small dominance that we have enjoyed over Chicken Inn, but we cannot afford to underrate them. They are a strong side, and we need to be cautious,” said Benza.
PSL results between Chicken Inn and Herentals since 2019:
23/11/24: Herentals 0 – 0 Chicken Inn
30/06/24: Chicken Inn 0-0 Herentals
04/10/23: Herentals 1-1 Chicken Inn
06/05/23: Chicken Inn 2-1 Herentals
21/10/22: Herentals 0-0 Chicken Inn
07/05/22: Chicken Inn 0-0 Herentals
11/12/19: Herentals 0-2 Chicken Inn
Will Chicken Inn finally shake off their early-season struggles and register their first win, or will Herentals continue to haunt them? Saturday’s encounter at Luveve promises to be a battle of resilience and tactical discipline.
— @FungaiMuderere.
derick.khumalo