Zim coaches enjoying good form

Raymond Jaravaza
ZIMBABWEAN exports Joey Antipas and Jairos Tapera are enjoying a good run in form with their respective teams commanding top four positions in the second tier South African league a�� the National First Division (NFD).

Antipas, a former Chicken Inn mentor, is head coach at AmaZulu while Tapera is in charge of Black Leopards.

Usuthu, as AmaZulu are affectionately known, sit second on the NFD log standings with 10 points from five matches a�� recording one defeat, three wins and a draw. In fact their only defeat of the season came almost a fortnight ago after going down 1-2 to FC Cape Town at home in Durban.

AmaZulu face former Absa Premiership team Jomo Cosmos coached by owner Jomo Sono at the Olen Park Stadium in Potchefstroom.

Tapera, a former Zimbabwe Under-20 national team coach, on the side has managed to hold onto fourth position from two victories, the same number of draws and one defeat.

The NFD is a 16-team league with clubs spread from across different provinces in South Africa. The team that wins the NFD at the end of the 2016 /17 season around May next year automatically joins the Absa Premiership.

The second and third placed teams join the club that finishes 15th in the Absa Premiership in a mini-league promotional playoffs. The ultimate winner of the three-team mini-league is promoted into the Absa Premiership.

As part of the deal that landed him the AmaZulu job Antipas was tasked with taking the team back to the elite football league with a fat cheque believed to be around R500 000 as an incentive. He is assisted by trusted lieutenant Prince Matore.