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Joey Antipas

Sports Reporter
DESPITE failing to win promotion into the top-flight, former Chicken Inn and Motor Action mentor Joey Antipas could yet be coaching his South African side AmaZulu in the Premiership next season if the club’s bid to buy the franchise of Thanda Zulu Royal succeeds tomorrow. Antipas, who won the domestic Premiership championships with the now defunct Motor Action in 2010 and Chicken Inn five years later, saw his bid to guide Usuthu into the South African top-flight hit a brickwall after they choked towards the end of the 2016-17 season.

They eventually finished fifth behind Thanda Zulu Royal, Black Leopards, Stellenbosch and Royal Eagles.

A place in the top three would have given AmaZulu a chance to battle for promotion via the play-offs against Baroka.

But with the Thanda Zulu Royal franchise having been put up for sale at an asking price of R60 million, AmaZulu could yet bounce back to the top-light from where they were relegated at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Reports from South Africa indicated yesterday that Antipas and his men will have to await a PSL board decision tomorrow to determine whether the club would be allowed to buy the franchise of Thanda Zulu Royal.

Apart from Antipas, Usuthu are also home to four other Zimbabweans — his trusted lieutenant Prince Matore, big goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro, former CAPS United defender Stephen Makatuka and midfielder Ovidy Karuru.

Karuru, who has been reviving his career at Usuthu, won a recall to the Warriors last week.

Thanda might have won automatic promotion, but their Premiership status has always been hanging in the balance after their chairman, Pierre Delvaux, publicly stated that he would consider selling the club, citing financial constraints.

Delvaux has been concerned that without a sponsor it would be challenging to run the club as well as be competitive in the PSL.

Thanda have been operating without a main sponsor for three years, following the end of their deal with Bell Equipment.

This is also not the first time that AmaZulu have to await a PSL executive decision on their bid to play in the ABSA Premiership.

Since their relegation from the PSL at the end of the 2014 /15 season, AmaZulu made attempts to make a quick return to the top-flight.

In 2015, the Durban-based club attempted to buy Mpumalanga Black Aces’ top flight status.

But that attempt was rejected by the PSL’s executive committee and in the end, Aces’ PSL status was later sold to Cape Town businessman John Comitis in 2016.

Another hurdle also reportedly stands in the way of AmaZulu’s bid to buy the Thanda franchise as the City of uMhlathuze announced they would protest against the proposed deal which they feel would be unfair to the KwaZulu-Natal soccer fans and the municipality.

“The City of uMhlathuze strongly condemns the alleged move by Thanda Royal Zulu’s chairman to sell the club to AmaZulu FC. The City urges the PSL Board not to approve this deal as it is a daylight robbery for soccer fans in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal.

“The City is disappointed at the recent media reports citing the negotiations between AmaZulu FC and Thanda chairman Mr Pierre Delvaux, to sell his club’s Absa Premiership status without the consideration of the supporter’s hearts.

“The City of uMhlathuze has, for years, invested millions of rands to the club as main sponsors with the intention of seeing the club developing to the top league. City people and soccer lovers invested their hearts when the club was struggling and supported with all they had until the glory days.

“Tax payers money was also invested in improving the stadium to accommodate the club’s success and just recently, R14 million worth of FIFA accredited stadium lights were installed and more improvements in the facility is underway worth millions of rands, which will go down the drain if the allegations are proven to be factual,’’ read part of the statement.

Mayor Mdu Mhlongo registered his disgruntlement over the allegations, which he reckons will deprive his City a number of anticipated economic spin-offs and packs that comes with having a Premiership club in the city.

“We have been working hard to see Thanda climbing to the top leagues and fully supporting the club with our facilities and financially investing to the team knowing that when they play at the top level, our investment will be paid back and our people especially soccer lovers and youth will benefit, little did we know that we are assisting people who have no interest in investing in the City and in the club anymore.

“If these rumours were anything to go by, then we were deceived, looted and our emotions played. The allegations leave us confused as we were continuing with high level engagement with corporates to seize the opportunity presented by Thanda and financially support.

“We appeal to Dr Irvin Khoza and his leadership collective in the PSL to flatly dismiss the alleged transaction and put the interest of soccer first,” Mhlongo said.