Kamanga: We shall hire a top notch coach money can afford
Musonda ‘Ba Muzo’ Chibulu | April 9, 2019
FAZ president Andrew Kamanga says Football House shall hire a high quality coach for Chipolopolo.
The successful businessman was speaking at an MTN Bola Talk Show hosted by by his long time buddy Ponga Liwewe, the former FAZ General Secretary.
Kamanga is quoted by papers told saying that FAZ shall supplement government’s $10, 000 through the bond to hire a top drawer coach for Chipolopolo.
Kamanga has meanwhile clarified that FAZ wanted to hire a foreign trainer when his executive took over on March 19, 2016.
“Prior to hiring Wedson (Nyirenda), we had conducted interviews and the best candidate asked for more than what government was offering. We were forced to make do with Wedson.”
“The same scenario when Wedson, left, interviews were conducted and the best candidate asked for more than $10,000 which was on offer. Only Sven (Vandenbroeck) agreed to take the $10,000.”
“Suffice to say the $10, 000 contribution has been offered by government since 2008 when (Herve) Renard started his first journey with FAZ.
” (Dario) Bonetti’s salary was above $10,000 and subsidised by KCM (Konkola Copper Mines). Even Renard’s second coming was supported by FQM (First Quatum Minerals).
“Under the prevailing economic environment it’s impossible to secure corporate sponsorship due to tight liquidity affecting all corporates,” he said.
The Enfin Solutions and North Western Energy Corporation proprietor said FAZ was now looking to the bond to bridge what is on offer from government and what a top quality trainer may demand.
“Going forward FAZ has looked at the bond to secure finance to fund the hire of a top quality trainer. I can assure the nation that we shall hire a quality trainer that money can afford,” Kamanga said.
KAMANGA said that the failure to qualify to two consecutive Africa Cups was as a result of failure to have structures to sustain Zambian football development after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.
The FAZ boss said his executive had put emphasis on using right age players in junior national teams to provide a pool of players for the senior national team.
He cited 2016 when the Zambia Under-17 was suspended for age-cheating by COSAFA. Kamanga said FAZ reconstructed the team with right ages which won the COSAFA Under-17 championship for the first time.
“We graduated that team into the current Zambia Under-20 which reached the semi-finals of the COSAFA championship we hosted in Kitwe last year.”
“This youth set up has seen the Zambia Under-20 which won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 and reach the quarter-finals of the Korea Under-20 World Cup for the first time promoted to the Zambia Under-23 which is now competing for a place at the Olympics. That is the team that beat Malawi recently,” Kamanga said.
Kamanga stated that Chipolopolo needed a new trainer like yesterday and FAZ was working to ensure that a coach was in place by the end of the month.
He stated that there are challenges ahead such as COSAFA and CHAN qualifiers which needed adequate preparations.
And Kamanga has disclosed that FAZ is considering an offer to host the senior COSAFA Challenge Cup.
“We are considering an offer from to COSAFA to host the senior challenge. We shall inform the nation as soon we reach a position,” he said.