Sports / Soccer
Pasuwa ruled out of Chicken Inn job
05 May 2016 at 11:42hrs | Views
WARRIORS coach Callisto Pasuwa is out of the running for the Chicken Inn job which falls vacant in July when Joey Antipas and his assistant Prince Matore leave for greener pastures in South Africa. Antipas has agreed terms with South African First National Division side AmaZulu, who are seeking to bounce back to the topflight league after they were relegated at the end of the 2014-15 season.
His departure is likely to create a gap at the Gamecocks, with jostling for the job having already started. Pasuwa's manager Gibson Mahachi said yesterday that the Warriors coach, who signed a lucrative deal with ZIFA early this year, will not be in the mix for the hot seat at Chicken Inn.
He said Pasuwa cannot work elsewhere as he is a full-time coach with the national team. "Pasuwa right now is committed to the national team. Technically, he can't work elsewhere as a coach because he has a contract with ZIFA, which makes him a full-time employee (of the national association)," said Mahachi.
However, Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara yesterday said they have already identified the replacement to take over the reins from Antipas during the mid-season. He said the new coach, to be announced in due course, will come with his own assistants. Hara said they don't expect their team to be rocked by Antipas' departure.
The 57-year-old former Warriors gaffer helped the Gamecocks win their maiden championship last year when they edged giants Dynamos to the crown after five years of trying. Hara said they had known beforehand that they will not finish the season with Antipas and were already planning ahead.
"We had known about this move long back and we were already planning for his departure. The replacements have already been identified and for that reason we are not going to put adverts for the job. What is only left is to make the announcement when the appropriate time comes," said Hara.
He said Chicken Inn are still expecting to meet their targets this year. According to Hara, the new coach will come with his aides. The Gamecocks are currently on track early in the Premiership after winning two matches and drawing one. They have one loss and are currently on seven points from a possible 12.
"Normally, we leave the recruitment of the backroom staff to the head of the technical team. He will choose his assistants and all the coaching staff but this time we are not going to tamper with the development side, which is playing in Division Two. We place so much value in the development side; that is where players like Devine Lunga came from."
The Gamecocks yesterday published a statement in which they wished Antipas goodwill on his move. "Chicken Inn Football Club would like to confirm that the head of our Technical Department, Joey Antipas and his assistant Prince Matore, will leave their positions with the club with effect from 1 July 2016.
"They have agreed in principle to move to Amazulu Football Club of South Africa. They both remain focused on achieving the mid-season targets and retain all respect and commitment from all within the club. "Out of respect for the players and all the club's stakeholders, we wish to make this decision official to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation.
"The club would like to wish both Joey and Prince all the success in their future endeavours and we are appreciative of their incredible list of achievements from the time they began their association with the Gamecocks to date. "Suitable replacements have been identified and will be announced in due course," read the statement.
Hara said the Gamecocks are also preparing for the eventuality of losing some key players to South Africa during the mid-season after their skipper Danny Phiri, Raphael Kutinyu and Moses Demera were invited for trials at Golden Arrows while Edmore Chirambadare and Mitchelle Katsvairo trained with Kaizer Chiefs. The quintet is still waiting to get feedback from the South African clubs.
"We are very much prepared for that eventuality. That is the reason why you have seen that the coach has been rotating players and even fielded some of the players who did not usually play when the team played during the Independence Cup matches. "We have a good pool of players. We also have other players like Bheki Ncube, Guide Goddard and David Temwanjira, who were not registered for the first half of the season due to some circumstances but are still part of the club. They are still on the payroll and are training with the club," said Hara.
Meanwhile, AmaZulu's general manager Lunga Sokhela, yesterday confirmed they have finalised all the paperwork to bring Antipas to Durban. He indicated the new coach will be shuttling Down South from time to time to observe things at the Usuthu camp, which is currently under interim coach Delron Buckley until the end of the season. "We have concluded the paperwork with Mr Joey Antipas and we're very pleased for the appointment.
"He's someone that will definitely bring the wit and experience that we need to rise above this season's underachievement, and also ensure we are a strong force in challenging for promotion next season," said Sokhela. Antipas has won two championships in his career. He lifted his first title with the now-defunct Motor Action in 2010 and then with Chicken Inn last season.
He holds a CAF B Coaching Licence and has spent time under European clubs, Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Brondby (Denmark), as part of his studies in 2012 and 2013.
His departure is likely to create a gap at the Gamecocks, with jostling for the job having already started. Pasuwa's manager Gibson Mahachi said yesterday that the Warriors coach, who signed a lucrative deal with ZIFA early this year, will not be in the mix for the hot seat at Chicken Inn.
He said Pasuwa cannot work elsewhere as he is a full-time coach with the national team. "Pasuwa right now is committed to the national team. Technically, he can't work elsewhere as a coach because he has a contract with ZIFA, which makes him a full-time employee (of the national association)," said Mahachi.
However, Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara yesterday said they have already identified the replacement to take over the reins from Antipas during the mid-season. He said the new coach, to be announced in due course, will come with his own assistants. Hara said they don't expect their team to be rocked by Antipas' departure.
The 57-year-old former Warriors gaffer helped the Gamecocks win their maiden championship last year when they edged giants Dynamos to the crown after five years of trying. Hara said they had known beforehand that they will not finish the season with Antipas and were already planning ahead.
"We had known about this move long back and we were already planning for his departure. The replacements have already been identified and for that reason we are not going to put adverts for the job. What is only left is to make the announcement when the appropriate time comes," said Hara.
He said Chicken Inn are still expecting to meet their targets this year. According to Hara, the new coach will come with his aides. The Gamecocks are currently on track early in the Premiership after winning two matches and drawing one. They have one loss and are currently on seven points from a possible 12.
"Normally, we leave the recruitment of the backroom staff to the head of the technical team. He will choose his assistants and all the coaching staff but this time we are not going to tamper with the development side, which is playing in Division Two. We place so much value in the development side; that is where players like Devine Lunga came from."
"They have agreed in principle to move to Amazulu Football Club of South Africa. They both remain focused on achieving the mid-season targets and retain all respect and commitment from all within the club. "Out of respect for the players and all the club's stakeholders, we wish to make this decision official to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation.
"The club would like to wish both Joey and Prince all the success in their future endeavours and we are appreciative of their incredible list of achievements from the time they began their association with the Gamecocks to date. "Suitable replacements have been identified and will be announced in due course," read the statement.
Hara said the Gamecocks are also preparing for the eventuality of losing some key players to South Africa during the mid-season after their skipper Danny Phiri, Raphael Kutinyu and Moses Demera were invited for trials at Golden Arrows while Edmore Chirambadare and Mitchelle Katsvairo trained with Kaizer Chiefs. The quintet is still waiting to get feedback from the South African clubs.
"We are very much prepared for that eventuality. That is the reason why you have seen that the coach has been rotating players and even fielded some of the players who did not usually play when the team played during the Independence Cup matches. "We have a good pool of players. We also have other players like Bheki Ncube, Guide Goddard and David Temwanjira, who were not registered for the first half of the season due to some circumstances but are still part of the club. They are still on the payroll and are training with the club," said Hara.
Meanwhile, AmaZulu's general manager Lunga Sokhela, yesterday confirmed they have finalised all the paperwork to bring Antipas to Durban. He indicated the new coach will be shuttling Down South from time to time to observe things at the Usuthu camp, which is currently under interim coach Delron Buckley until the end of the season. "We have concluded the paperwork with Mr Joey Antipas and we're very pleased for the appointment.
"He's someone that will definitely bring the wit and experience that we need to rise above this season's underachievement, and also ensure we are a strong force in challenging for promotion next season," said Sokhela. Antipas has won two championships in his career. He lifted his first title with the now-defunct Motor Action in 2010 and then with Chicken Inn last season.
He holds a CAF B Coaching Licence and has spent time under European clubs, Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Brondby (Denmark), as part of his studies in 2012 and 2013.
Source - the herald
