Sports / Local
Chicken Inn target Dembare
06 Aug 2014 at 09:18hrs | Views
Veteran coach Joey Antipas has set his sights on staging an upset when his inconsistent Chicken Inn outfit takes on reigning champions Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Gwanzura Stadium in Harare today.
Last Sunday, Chicken Inn were in the capital where they lost 0-1 to Dynamos' arch rivals CAPS United in a closely fought encounter at the National Sports Stadium.
That defeat was the Gamecocks' fourth in a row, leaving Antipas, a league champion in 2010 with Motor Action, under intense pressure.
With Chicken Inn now caught up in the relegation dogfight (the Gamecocks are just one point clear of the drop zone), the match against title chasing Dynamos comes at a far from ideal time for Antipas.
The two sides played out a goalless draw in their first league clash at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on June 28, and with Chicken Inn forced to embark on the long trip to the capital twice in less than a week following the PSL secretariat's revision of the fixture programme last month to accommodate cup games, Antipas is a worried man.
"We just hope for the best in the game tomorrow (today). We feel the travelling has been punishing for us, but there is nothing we can do about the fixtures except to fulfil them," said Antipas.
The seasoned gaffer however insists the taxing schedule would not stop his side from going all out for victory against the Glamour Boys.
"We are going into this match with a positive mindset and hope for a change of fortunes after Sunday's game which I believe is now water under the bridge. This is a new challenge and we hope we can turn things around this time," he said.
The Bulawayo based side will be missing the services of midfielder Thabani Goredema, who is serving a one game suspension after attaining three yellow cards, but Antipas believes that will not affect his charges' bid for an away win.
He added that he felt luck has not been the on their side, hence the team's poor results in recent games, stating the need by his charges to pull up their socks and bounce back to push for a respectable finish in the top flight league.
"We are playing very well and deserved to win in some of the matches that we lost, but Lady Luck has not been smiling on us in recent games which have seen us loosing narrowly. We have lost our last three games by 0-1 scorelines," he said.
Meanwhile, log leaders Highlanders host Black Rhinos at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo with the 2006 league champions looking to consolidate their position at the top of the league table.
Bosso have 32 points from 17 games and lie just a point ahead of the duo of ZPC Kariba and defending champions Dynamos.
Last Sunday, Chicken Inn were in the capital where they lost 0-1 to Dynamos' arch rivals CAPS United in a closely fought encounter at the National Sports Stadium.
That defeat was the Gamecocks' fourth in a row, leaving Antipas, a league champion in 2010 with Motor Action, under intense pressure.
With Chicken Inn now caught up in the relegation dogfight (the Gamecocks are just one point clear of the drop zone), the match against title chasing Dynamos comes at a far from ideal time for Antipas.
The two sides played out a goalless draw in their first league clash at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on June 28, and with Chicken Inn forced to embark on the long trip to the capital twice in less than a week following the PSL secretariat's revision of the fixture programme last month to accommodate cup games, Antipas is a worried man.
"We just hope for the best in the game tomorrow (today). We feel the travelling has been punishing for us, but there is nothing we can do about the fixtures except to fulfil them," said Antipas.
The seasoned gaffer however insists the taxing schedule would not stop his side from going all out for victory against the Glamour Boys.
"We are going into this match with a positive mindset and hope for a change of fortunes after Sunday's game which I believe is now water under the bridge. This is a new challenge and we hope we can turn things around this time," he said.
The Bulawayo based side will be missing the services of midfielder Thabani Goredema, who is serving a one game suspension after attaining three yellow cards, but Antipas believes that will not affect his charges' bid for an away win.
He added that he felt luck has not been the on their side, hence the team's poor results in recent games, stating the need by his charges to pull up their socks and bounce back to push for a respectable finish in the top flight league.
"We are playing very well and deserved to win in some of the matches that we lost, but Lady Luck has not been smiling on us in recent games which have seen us loosing narrowly. We have lost our last three games by 0-1 scorelines," he said.
Meanwhile, log leaders Highlanders host Black Rhinos at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo with the 2006 league champions looking to consolidate their position at the top of the league table.
Bosso have 32 points from 17 games and lie just a point ahead of the duo of ZPC Kariba and defending champions Dynamos.
Source - Zim Mail
