BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
CHICKEN INN coach Joey Antipas appears to be riled by critics who feel that he did not deserve the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Coach of the Year award he won last week.
Antipas, who was the overwhelming favourite to win the league title at the start of the season, was a surprise winner of the coach’s award beating others such as Lloyd Chitembwe, Darlington Dodo, Lizwe Sweswe, Tonderai Ndiraya and Pieter de Jongh for the coveted gong.
A draw and a defeat against Hwange and Bulawayo Chiefs in week 31 and 32 fixtures respectively left Chicken Inn with a remote chance of winning the title.
The Gamecocks convincingly beat Herentals 2 – 0 in the league’s penultimate match of the season on Wednesday, but results elsewhere extinguished their hopes of landing the big prize.
But Antipas had already done enough to win the award and interestingly the former Warriors caretaker coach did not attend the awards ceremony.
“I wouldn’t comment on the coach of the year because some people feel I don’t deserve it. But they are entitled to their opinion,” Antipas said apparently irritated.
However, he expressed disappointment at his team’s overall performance in the league this season.
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“Our biggest problem was our inconsistency. I think if we were a little bit consistent we would have easily won the league. But unfortunately we were not, so we have to keep moving in the right direction,” he said.
Chicken Inn won 16 matches, drawing eight and losing nine, amassing 56 points going the final day of the season yesterday.
The 2015 Champions had a very busy off season transfer before the start of the season bringing players such Brett Amidu, Tichaona Chipunza, Donovan Bernard, Valentine Kadonzvo, and Marlvin Gaki, among others.
After a good start to the season, Chicken Inn lost free scoring striker Clive Augusto during the midseason transfer — a move that may have disturbed the team’s title charge. Antipas also had to juggle club and country after he was appointed national team care-taker coach in August.
The former Motor Action and Amazulu (South Africa) gaffer is also looking to strengthen the team next season in a bid to win the championship that he won with the club four years ago.
“We are looking to become a stronger side next season and put up another good challenge. “I believe if we work on a few issues here and there, we can come up trumps. We did have some good games and we did have some poor games and those poor games cost us this season,” he said.
