Joey “Mafero” Antipas is an accomplished Zimbabwean football coach

Joey Antipas

By Lovemore Dube  4/11/2022

JOEY Antipas has his name written all over his boyhood football neighbourhood of Harare folklore for his successes as a player and coach.

He shares the rare distinction with the likes of Jimmy Finch who were outstanding as players before going to shine in administration.

Antipas walks with his chest out and head raised high as he was in the last Arcadia side to win silverware when they won the 1985 Chibuku Trophy courtesy of a 1-0 over then defending champions Highlanders FC.

After retiring Antipas joined Arcadia as a coach and would go on to coach Motor Action and Chicken Inn to league titles.

To cap that he was national team coach when Zimbabwe qualified for its last Afcon finals after garnering the majority of the points with expatriate Zdravko “Loga’’ Logarusic just picking a point with the team.

Antipas played as a rightback for Arcadia and Zimbabwe.

He was the kind of hardworking player who exuded so much confidence as a defender and when venturing forward at 21 in 1980 he was already an accomplished veteran of many seasons…

Antipas was born and educated in Arcadia and came through the club’s junior development and was promoted to the senior team in the late 1970s as the Arcadia FC legacy continued to be perpetuated by a group of very talented individuals who were woven into a tight unit.

When he arrived Bethal Salis, George Rollo, Hamid Dhana, Majid Dhana, Stewart Gilbert and Reg Payne were some of the senior players.

At Independence and in the ensuing years younger talent in the form of Antony Kambani, Nat Bismark, Carlos Max, Shaun Charters and Charlie Jones came on board to add a new lease of life as the old guard some of whom were part of the great Arcadia side beaten in the 1970 Castle Cup final by Wankie FC were retiring.

Arcadia were one of the country’s most consistent sides until the 1990s when a crippling economy meant traditional sponsors could not keep up with rising costs. Faced with that the club was relegated and there have been several efforts to revive the team.

Antipas was so good that he played for the national team at a time when national team coaches had Stephen Chuma, Charles Sibanda, Ephert Lungu, Misheck Chidzambwa, Sunday Chidzambwa, Ernest Mutano, Majid Dhana, Douglas Mloyi, Oliver Kateya, Bennedict Moyo, Ephraim Dzimbiri, Felix Ntuthu, Doorman Moodley and Reg Payne all in the national team framwework.

He was a different defender, who put everything into his shift as if life depended on his 90-minute performance.

Antipas has also coached in South Africa where he was at AmaZulu before returning to Chicken Inn who look set to finish in the top three of the 2022 Zimbabwe Castle Lager Championship.