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Joey Antipas

JOEY Antipas might be coaching in the South African Absa Premiership next season should negotiations between AmaZulu and Thanda Royal Zulu bear fruit.

Antipas’ AmaZulu failed to gain promotion to the PSL in his first season in charge, finishing fifth, but the club’s owners are bidding to buy the franchise of National First Division winners Thanda Royal Zulu.

Antipas, who is in the country for the off-season break, told SportsZone that negotiations between the two clubs were almost complete.

“The management has decided to venture into a franchise because they feel AmaZulu are too big a team to play in the National First Division.

“As I speak now, negotiations are about 90 percent done. I don’t want to talk much about what’s happening there, but definitely I know that in the new season AmaZulu will be a force to reckon with,” said Antipas.

A deal might be struck this week, with reports from South Africa saying both clubs from KwaZulu-Natal have agreed in principle to have AmaZulu buying the Thanda Royal Zulu franchise.

Thanda Royal Zulu chairman Pierre Delvau conceded to South African media that the club was considering selling its franchise.

This is not the first time Usuthu have tried to fast-track their return to the Premiership. In 2015, AmaZulu unsuccessfully tried to buy the franchise of Mpumalanga Black Aces, but were beaten to it by Cape Town City owned by businessman John Comitis.

AmaZulu missed out on the promotional play-offs after losing 0-1 to FC Cape Town in their last game of the season.

Rejuvenated midfielder Ovidy Karuru, who was recently called to the Warriors’ squad to face Liberia in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, is among four Zimbabweans at Usuthu along with Butholezwe Ncube, former Caps United captain Stephen Makatuka and ex-Warriors’ goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro.

Antipas is assisted at Usuthu by long time lieutenant Prince Matore. — Sportszone.co.zw