SOME soccer fans associations have called on the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to consider employing local coaches to lead the national soccer team. SOME soccer fans associations have called on the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to consider employing local coaches to lead the national soccer team.
Chipolopolo Soccer Fans Association president, Yotam Mwanza told the Lusaka Star that local coaches had the potential to coach the national soccer team citing Ben Bamfuchile and Patrick Phiri as such coaches.
“Our local coaches have the potential to coach the national team. For example Ben Bamfuchile qualified the Chipolopolo to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 without any losses and had the highest qualifying points in that group,” he said.
“Another good example can be Patrick Phiri who lead the Chipolopolo to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and not forgetting Fighton Simukonda,” Mwanza stated.
He, however, attributed the preference of expatriate coaches over local coaches to the belief that foreign coaches had advanced coaching licensing certificates such as the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) B and C coaching certificates.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZSFA) president, Pastor Peter Makembo said local coaches were not to be underrated as they could do a better job than some foreign coaches.
The ZSFA president cited the qualification of the U17 Women National Soccer team to the World Cup as evidence of the hard work and dedication of a local coach.
The Zambian U17 Women National Soccer team, coached by Albert Kachinga qualified to the world cup after they beat South Africa 3 – 1 in the 2nd leg final round qualifier for the Costa Rica 2014 World Cup to be played between March 15 and April 15.
Makembo further said, “Zambians should learn to believe in their local coaches. Nigeria has a local coach (Steven Keshie) and he managed to qualify the Super Eagles to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and helped them lift the cup by beating the favourites Ivory Coast.”
“Steven Keshie helped Nigeria qualify to the 2014 FIFA Brazil World Cup,” he added.
He said the Chipolopolo Boys were better off with a local coach especially that the country was approaching its 50th independence anniversary.
The two Soccer Fans Associations have called on FAZ to learn from constructive criticism and not feel offended.