Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, [email protected]
WHILE the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League continues to deliver drama every weekend, veteran coach Joey Antipas is living a very different kind of life these days. Away from the touchline, he now spends some of his afternoons in quiet places, fishing rod in hand, enjoying a slower pace.
But even in the calm, football is never far from his thoughts.
The former Motor Action, Chicken Inn, Amazulu (South Africa) and Zimbabwe national team coach may be taking a break from the dugout, but his love for the game remains strong. From home, Antipas keeps a close eye on the local league, following the action with the same sharp eye that made him one of the country’s respected coaches.
And this season, what he sees has caught his attention.
“Competition is intense. I guess it is more competitive than normal seasons due to the financial backing from owners of clubs.”
His observation reflects what many fans are noticing. The league is changing. Clubs are spending more, standards are rising and the battle for the title is no longer predictable.
Unlike in past seasons, where one or two teams would pull away early, this campaign is wide open. Several sides are still in the mix as the season approaches its halfway stage.
“With the season approaching the halfway mark, there are teams chasing the holy grail like CAPS United, Hardrock and Scottland who are showing consistency, though it’s still early days,” he said.
The rise of clubs like Hardrock and Scottland shows how Zimbabwean football is evolving. With new investment and fresh ambition, the game is taking on a new shape. Watching from a distance, Antipas is clearly intrigued by these changes.
Yet while the league heats up, his own life has cooled down.
For years, Antipas lived and breathed football. His days were filled with training sessions, tactics, team talks and the pressure that comes with results. Coaching at that level leaves little time to pause.
Now, things are different.
“I still keep in touch with the events that are happening and spend time out fishing and doing things I never used to do. I am enjoying sabbatical rest and life.”
Fishing may seem worlds away from football, but for Antipas, it offers something the game rarely gave him — peace. The stillness of the water, the quiet waiting, the space to think. It is a sharp contrast to the noise and pressure of the technical area.
Those close to him say this break has allowed him to enjoy simple moments again — the kind that a busy football career often pushes aside.
Even so, there are things he cannot escape. The thrill of match day, the tension, the feeling of leading a team — these are not easy to forget.
Ask him if he misses it, and his answer comes quickly and without hesitation.
“Once a baller, always a baller.”
It is a short line, but it says a lot.
Because for Antipas, football is not just a job. It is part of who he is. Even away from the pitch, he continues to watch games, follow results and study how the league is changing.
For now, though, he seems content. This chapter of his life is about rest, reflection and rediscovery — time with family, time by the water, and time to simply slow down.
Yet there is a quiet sense that this may not be the end of his coaching journey.
Somewhere between the calm of fishing and the roar of weekend football, Joey Antipas is watching, waiting — perhaps for the day the dugout calls him back once again.
