Grace Chingoma Harare Bureau
CHICKEN Inn coach Joey Antipas said his charges are ready to bounce back from their disappointing exit from the Chibuku Super Cup when they host Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premiership top-of-the-table clash at Barbourfields this Sunday.
The pacesetters are going into this match coming from a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final defeat at the hands of Chapungu who beat them in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.
However, Antipas yesterday said they have shifted their focus to the league championship race and are raring to go in their next assignment against Dynamos on Sunday.
“It’s unfortunate, we were knocked out of the Chibuku Super Cup but it was just difficult going into the match after the way we had travelled but we are now looking forward to the league game against Dynamos.
“We respect them, they are the defending champions,” Antipas said.
The Gamecocks, who are seven points clear of Dynamos, believe completing a league double over the Harare giants will definitely motivate them as they bid for their first league title.
“If we collect maximum points in this game it will give us a good boost in the remaining league match.
“We’ve to try our best. The boys have recharged their batteries, they know how we lost and why we lost in the Chibuku Super Cup match against Chapungu. They are looking forward to a fresh game.
“A defeat would be part and parcel of the game, but from the way we are seeing it, I don’t think we are going to lose the match and we are not even thinking about a defeat,” said Antipas.
The former Motor Action gaffer said they are not reading much into their reverse tie against Dynamos where they humbled the Glamour Boys 3-0 in their own back yard at Rufaro.
Dynamos were then under David “Yogi” Mandigora and a number of players such as Takesure Chinyama, Roderick Mutuma and Richard Kawondera were not yet with the team.“Dynamos would always be Dynamos no matter who is coaching there or who is now playing there. We beat them 3-0 in Harare but it is a different game altogether and we are in the second round and it is different.
“In the last game, our goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze kept us in that match, but the goal which we scored in the first half also boosted our confidence,” Antipas said.
The Chicken Inn coach welcomes back the duo of defender Lawrence Mhlanga and Tafadzwa Kutinyu who were away in Congo Brazzaville with the Young Warriors at the just-ended African Games.
“It (the return of the two players) has given us more depth as we have played the last three matches without them. Passmore Bernard is out on suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.
“We are injury free and only Bheki Ncube, who picked a knock against ZPC Kariba, is out but is on the road to recovery,” said Antipas.