Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, [email protected]
IN football, players score the goals and coaches take the spotlight.
But behind every successful club stands a visionary leader.
For Chicken Inn FC, that man is Lifa Ncube.
The respected football administrator has spent more than two decades helping shape the destiny of the Gamecocks, turning what was once a modest football project into one of Zimbabwe’s most admired clubs.
His fingerprints are all over Chicken Inn’s success story.
From the club’s early years, through promotion to the Premier Soccer League, to the unforgettable championship-winning season of 2015, Ncube, who has been working hand in glove with Tavengwa Hara, Juta Tshuma, Makhanyiso Moyo and Lisa Sibanda among others, has with no doubt been the steady hand guiding the ship.
While others chased quick success, Ncube and his fellow executive members believed in building a strong foundation.
That patience paid off!
When Chicken Inn finally lifted the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title in 2015, it was not a miracle. It was the reward for years of planning, hard work and smart leadership.
The Gamecocks conquered Zimbabwean football in style, in that year producing the Soccer Star of the Year (Danny Phiri), the Goalkeeper of the Year (Elvis Chipezeze) and the Coach of the Year (Joey Antipas) in a season that transformed the club forever.
But perhaps Ncube’s greatest achievement was not the trophy itself.
It was creating a football institution respected across the country for its professionalism, stability and ambition.
At a time when many clubs struggled with administration and financial uncertainty, Chicken Inn became a model of consistency.
The club earned a reputation for doing things the right way.
That culture started at the top.
Away from Chicken Inn, Ncube’s football knowledge and leadership qualities saw him rise to become Premier Soccer League vice-chairman, where he played a key role in shaping the local game.
His influence extended beyond Bulawayo and the Gamecocks.
Yet despite serving the national game, his heart never left Chicken Inn.
When the club restructured its leadership in 2026, supporters celebrated the return of a familiar face.
Ncube was back as board chairman.
For many in the Gamecocks family, it felt like the return of a trusted captain to the bridge.
Today, Ncube remains one of the longest-serving and most respected football administrators in the country.
He is not known for making headlines or seeking attention.
Instead, he has built his reputation through service, loyalty and results.
Few individuals have given as much of their time, energy and passion to a single football club.
Few have witnessed every stage of a club’s rise and remained committed throughout the journey.
That is why many supporters affectionately describe him as the “Godfather of the Gamecocks.”
Because long before the trophies, long before the celebrations and long before Chicken Inn became a household name, Ncube was already there, believing.
And even today, his belief remains unshaken.
As he proudly declared during the unveiling of the club’s new kit:
“This is our year. Let’s write our story together. The Chicken will cross the road,” the club quoted him as saying in a befitting statement that was posted on their social media handles.
Those words perfectly capture the spirit of a man whose life has become inseparable from the story of Chicken Inn.
A builder.
A leader.
A visionary.
A Gamecock through and through!
