The transformation of Red Arrows and the Chisi Mbewe effect

Red Arrows league winning Coach Chisi Mbewe joined the Airmen in 2005 from Power Dynamos football club.

During his playing time Chisi Mbewe helped Red Arrows win the Mosi Cup and become runners up in the league, Coca-Cola cup and BP Top 8 .

In 2010 Mbewe sustained a terrible knee injury which saw him call it time on his playing career.

Chisi Mbewe started from the bottom he humbled himself and took the Job of Kit manager and started learning the art of coaching as he started moving step by step in the back-room staff learning from Top Coaches until he was given the powers to be at the Wheel.

Having took over from Honor Janza in the transitional Season Coach Chisi Mbewe immediately had an impact on the team as Red Arrows finished third.

In the 2019/2020 season the league ended prematurely and the Airmen finished the league mid table.

The 2020/2021 season came and saw Red Arrows return to continental football after 9 years in the wilderness.

The 2021/2022 season saw the Airmen end their 18-year wait by winning the MTN Super league title with a club record of 70 points. How did all this fall in place? here is the Break down ;

After George Lwandamina left Red Arrows in 2013 they was not much change in personnel as Red Arrows had the longest serving players in the league.

Many Coaches came and went but never really changed The identity..Chisi Mbewe and his technical bench realized that if he had to make his own team and change the face of the team he had to make very tough Decisions by letting go some Senior players go in order for the club to move forward and the long serving players to face new challenges.

Red Arrows football club improved in the recruitment side of things. For many years Red Arrows recruitment policy was poor not until the club decided to recruit players who purely had the right attitude.

The new players bought into the clubs vision and Philosophy. The club started acquiring ambitious players and not those who saw Red Arrows as a retirement home.

Red Arrows management started putting their house in order assigning each member of the executive to execute there various tasks professionally and put in a detailed and solid plan to ensure the club moves forward.

The Airmen improved in their planning, the club now has a 10-year strategic plan with short, medium and long term plans to ensure the football club keeps growing and producing desired results both with the main team and the Youth teams that have been set up to develop players.

Players attitude changed as the players always turn up every day in training and on match day creating a very competitive environment.

The togetherness and never say die attitude is something that is their for everyone to see and the players are told to always be humble, work hard and be honest.

The club structures have changed from top to bottom and the mid set change is positive for the club. The vision is to see the club performance and challenge at the Highest Level become a Top club not only in Zambia but in Africa as well.

Next up for Chisi and the Airmen is the CAF Champions League.