BY TERRY MADYAUTA
CHICKEN INN gaffer Joey Antipas has declared war on their rivals ahead of tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash against defending champions FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium.
Both sides had a trailblazing first-half of the season and they still look to be the safe bets to win the championship this season. But tomorrow presents another testing time for the Gamecocks, who need maximum points in this ding-dong title race to fancy their chances.
Last time out at Barbourfields, Chicken Inn lost 1-0 through a Perfect Chikwende goal.
After the mid-week round of fixtures, FC Platinum were dislodged from the summit of the log table by Caps United. They, however, retained their one point advantage over Chicken Inn, who had been blowing hot and cold.
The 2015 champions will be stimulated by their win over Ngezi Platinum Stars in their last assignment.
The Gamecocks men will be hoping to keep that momentum against the platinum miners who were held to a one all draw against Hwange on Wednesday.
Though he is aware of the threat posed by FC Platinum, Antipas said his team is not intimidated by the prospect of playing at Mandava.
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“FC Platinum is a very good team, actually one of the teams that has been grinding results so well this season. I admit that they have been consistent, especially at Mandava and it is difficult for anyone to play them there.
“But they are not invincible at all. Remember, they lost to Dynamos at that venue earlier this season and that is enough proof they are not unbeatable at home. We lost in the reverse fixture, but I believe this time we are going to be the winners.
“We need to maintain the winning momentum after that vital win over Ngezi Platinum. This game against FC Platinum will go a long way in giving us confidence if we win it,” Antipas said.
FC Platinum are second on the log table with the 36 points, while Chicken Inn are fifth with 35 points on their tally.
Norman Mapeza expressed concern over his team’s inconsistence.
“We have been playing for a long time now, but we must soldier on. We are now worried about the injuries and suspensions,” he said. “Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done and what we need at the moment is the mental strength more than anything.”
“As we face Chicken Inn, we need to forget about these suspensions and fatigue issues. According to my assessment, I think we are ready to fight for the points, knowing that we are playing against a team that is also in the title race.”
