The Sunday News
CHICKEN Inn made the City of Bulawayo proud when they overcame a fighting Harare City 3-1 in a pulsating encounter at Luveve Stadium yesterday to bring the Premier Soccer League title to the City of Kings and Queens for the first time since 2006.
The last time the country’s most coveted trophy found a home in Bulawayo was when it was won by Highlanders nine years ago.
Since then it has been near misses for Bulawayo teams with the closest time that the trophy could have landed in the City of Kings being in 2007, 2012 and 2013 when on all occasions Highlanders’ were runners up to Harare giants Dynamos.
With yesterday’s win, with a game to spare, Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas might have written his own piece of history in the annals of the modern Premiership by becoming the first coach to win the title with two different teams after he won it in 2010 with Motor Action.
Ironically Motor Action were runners-up when Highlanders last bagged the trophy in 2006.
And yesterday the Bulawayo side needed goals from George Majika, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, and Mitchell Katsvairo to walk away with the bacon, while the wasteful Harare City got their face-saver through the impressive Talent Chawapiwa, who struck on the half hour mark.
“I’m at a loss for words, I’m chaffed with the boys’ performance today. Coming into the match we knew destiny was in our own hands and we had to take the bull by the horns. I’m proud of the boys’ performances and I can say unity within our camp worked greatly in our favour,’’ said an ecstatic Antipas who was hoisted sky high by his players after the match.
“Good performances during the season played a critical role while we were able to stick together and although there were a couple of losses we managed to regroup and keep our confidences levels high and we would come back and pick up points that were very valuable. Although we would have loved to win the league with three or four games to go, we understand the title race is not easy but I am glad we have done it.”
