The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
OVER 180 days have passed since he last sat on the technical bench and he is now craving for the return of the game he calls his life.
Yet still, reigning Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Coach of the Year, Joey Antipas, remains cautious as the country battles against the coronavirus, which is now spreading rapidly across Africa.
The last time Antipas sat in the dugout was on December 14 2019 when his Chicken Inn sent TelOne tumbling back to Division One with a sound 4-1 thrashing at Luveve Stadium.
Chicken Inn finished the 2019 season second and three points behind FC Platinum, but Antipas knows his side let the title slip through their fingers given the way they had dominated for the better part of the race, before losing steam towards the end.
As Coach of the Year, Antipas would have loved to defend that title this term, but football has been shelved to prevent the spread of Covid-19. All he can do now is to follow the Germany Bundesliga, where his favourite team Borussia Dortmund are seven points behind log leaders Bayern Munich going into the last four rounds of the season. The Bundesliga is one of the top European leagues which resumed recently, albeit before empty stadiums.
Spain’s La Liga returned on Thursday, while the English Premier League is expected to restart on Wednesday.
“You have to give it to Bayern. They are running away with the Bundesliga title.”
“With no local football to think of, all I can do now is to follow other international leagues that have resumed. But, I like the Bundesliga a lot because they are home to my favourite team, Dortmund,” Antipas told The Sunday Mail Sport.
The 60-year-old coach has in the past attended overseas coaching attachments, especially in Germany, where he has had stints at Dortmund and Werder Bremen. His last coaching attachment with Dortmund was in 2012, and last year he was at Werder Bremen, thanks to a facility arranged by his son, Quincy.
Antipas, who won the league title with Chicken Inn in 2015 — five years after achieving the same feat with Motor Action — is regarded as one of the best tacticians in the local Premiership.
He guided the national team beyond the World Cup preliminary matches against Somalia last year, before he was replaced by Croat Zdravko Logarusic.
A keen learner, Antipas says he has been doing a lot of football research as he strives to keep relevant “in the ever-changing coaching trends”.
“I have been doing some research on coaching, trying to keep abreast with modern trends,” Antipas said.
“I miss football because football is my life. I enjoy all that comes with coaching.
“You have your ups and downs in this profession, so you have to keep on striving to come out tops.”
Chicken Inn have secured a top-four finish since 2015, when they ended Dynamos’ four-year dominance of the championship under Kalisto Pasuwa.
The Gamecocks, who made some additions to their experienced squad at the beginning of the year, were largely expected to challenge for the 2020 title once again, but for Antipas, life matters most at the moment.
After releasing Simon Munawa, former Shabanie Mine midfielder Joe Nyabinde and defender Ben Nyahunzvi, Chicken Inn signed highly rated ex-Mushowani midfielder Clive Dzingai, Warriors right-back Ian Nekati from ZPC Kariba and power-play striker Paddington Nyamakura, who joined from Yadah Stars.
“It is unfortunate that we have not played games in 2020. But the most important thing is life, which is precious.
“Covid-19 is a pandemic that we have to duly be aware of and we have to adhere to the regulations so that we keep safe and healthy.
“All we can do is to wait and see what unravels as the days go by. Hopefully we will get back to our love and passion of the beautiful game,” Antipas said.
Indications are that the local Premiership can only return after August, as health experts fear a spike in coronavirus cases this winter.
However, both the Premier Soccer League and ZIFA have begun taking steps towards ensuring a safe and healthy environment when the game finally returns.
For now, Antipas and his fellow PSL coaches can only follow developments from their homes and not on their favourite operating territories — football dugouts.
“I am just staying at home and playing it safe. Everything does come to an end, so we are waiting for the day the pandemic comes to a close and we can get on with our lives.
“Of course, 2020 is all about staying alive,” said Antipas.
Just like other footballers, Chicken Inn players are also following fitness programmes from their respective homes.
“The boys are keeping fit by doing fitness programmes our physical trainer, Presley Mabhena, is sending to them via WhatsApp.
“We know it is difficult to monitor, but I trust the boys will be professional about it,” Antipas said.
