FAZ courts Troussier

By SANDRA MWILA –

THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is courting renowned French coach Philippe Troussier as well as Patrice Beaumelle to take over as the next Chipolopolo trainer.
Apart from these two well-known coaches to Zambian football, the FAZ is also having discussions with two other French coaches in Sebastein Desabre and Bertrand Marchand as well as Belgian Tom Saintfiet, who is coaching Togo.
Impeccable sources told the Times yesterday that Troussier has already had talks with FAZ chief Andrew Kamanga who is in France watching the ongoing Euro Championship.
Troussier is also scheduled to meet Sports Minister Vincent Mwale, who also left for France believed to watch the Euros but with these meetings coming to light, his emergency trip can now be explained.
Soon after Zambia failed to qualify to the 2017 Africa Cup, Kamanga hinted that the FAZ will get an expatriate coach before Zambia plays its first Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier with the games set to kick start in October.
“Kamanga is in France for the European Championships but is also having talks with some coaches the FAZ is targeting. So far, he has had a word with Philippe Troussier, who is going to meet with the Minister sometime this week. Others will be seen later,” the source said.
But information reaching the Times yesterday suggested FAZ yesterday interviewed Frenchman Sébastien Desabre as they continue searching for a coach.
Of the coaches lined-up, Troussier has the biggest and most impressive curriculum vitae as he has coached at the World Cup with Japan and also qualified Nigeria to the 1998 World Cup but was fired before the tournament started.
His success in Africa both in Ivory Coast and Nigeria and then in South Africa led him to be nicknamed ‘The white witchdoctor.’
Troussier has had national team stints with Morocco, Qatar, Japan, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and South Africa and his last African national team post was in 2005 with Morocco.
For Tom Saintfiet, he has coached Yemen, Qatar and Bangladesh and then coached on the African continent with Togo, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and at club level with Free State Stars and RoPS of Finland while Desabre and Marchand have coached only at African club level.
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo captain Rainford Kalaba is confident Zambia will make history and qualify to the 2018 Russia World Cup.
Kalaba has also been appointed United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) players ambassador.
He said Zambia had been placed in a tough Group B with the likes of Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon and will be equal to the challenge.
Kalaba said adequate preparations ahead of the World Cup qualifiers will be cardinal for the Chipolopolo to make it to Russia.
“We know we have been placed in a tough group and the only thing that can help the team is adequate preparations ahead of the qualifiers. I know we are facing strong teams but with commitment and  hard work, Chipolopolo will make history and qualify to their first World Cup,” he said.
The skipper said the team should put their failure to qualify to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and COSAFA elimination behind them and focus on the World Cup.
Meanwhile Kalaba says he was humbled by his appointment by UNICEF to be their players’ ambassador.
“It is an honour for me to be recognised by UNICEF and  represent my country. I think this gesture will make me work hard on and off the pitch,” Kalaba said.