Zambia's Search for Expatriate Coach

It is utterly astounding the twists and turns this selection process is taking. Firstly a Committee is set up by the Minister to find a National Coach. One would have thought the modus operandi for this Committee would be to headhunt. But true to Zambian way of doing things, the process hits off on a convulated trajectory. We are told there is a nondescript list of applicants and they are actively being considered! The process finally ends when a FAZ Committee Member releases the name of one Tosi as being the new national coach! Talk about mediocrity and downright comedy!!

The way serious nations proceed in such processes is to identify a candidate they want based on track record and achievements. Hardly has any serious National Association tried the antiquated approach of inviting applicants to offer their presumed services. When the British were looking for Sven Goran Ericksson's successor they easily came upon Scolari, the Brazillian 2002 World Cup winning coach. The Germans were unequivocal about Klinsman. Similarly, the South Africans had relentlessly pursued Pereira till they landed him, at great cost! The rationale of this approach is that you land a tried and tested coach with a discernible reputation of success. Most coaches from Europe have no interest of Africa at heart, they only want to use these poor countries as stepping stones for lucrative jobs in Europe and the Middle East. Examples abound on this score and it is needless to list them. It is for this reason that when the mindset of the selector's is to engage a European coach, they must be sufficiently convinced of his love of developing soccer.

This last point of genuine love of developing African soccer is critical. This so-called Zambian committee that was tasked to find a coach should have looked for such a candidate either one who has coached in Africa before or one who has potential to embrace Zambia. In this regard, I am wondering why the Dane Roald Poulsen was not considered. He has been the most succesful coach to have tutored the national team in the modern era. He was widely the reason why we reached the finals of the Africa Cup in Tunis in 1994 though Ian Potterfield took the glory. He led Zambia to the semi-finals of the 1996 Africa Cup, losing out because the late James Phiri hid the fact that he had a broken rib hence could not dive in one direction. He came back again just to lead Zambia again to the Africa Cup for the third time but the majority of the team was hit by malaria. Though the team exited the competition in the first round, Zambia's performance on the pitch was widely hailed as they played as a unit and attractively at that!

I suggest that the man worth being given serious consideration is Roald Poulsen. The candidates on the FAZ shortlist aren't worthy to even lace the man's boots!

Zambia's 33 Best Footballers of All Time.

I am embarking on a very difficult task of analysing Zambia's best footballers of all time. This is a difficult and dodgy exercise as every living person in Zambia has an opinion about soccer. This is as it should be and is very healthy. Each segment of traditional soccer formation will be discussed separatley i.e 10 Defenders, 10 midfielders, 10 strikers and only 3 goalkeepers. The main criteria is one's contributions to the Zambia National Team. Flash-in-the-Pan players, however exciting, do not unfortunately make this list. Here goes....

Top 10 Defenders
10. Kapambwe Mulenga : He was the best left back of his era. He won back-to-back League championships with Nkana Football Club. His reputation for no nonsense tackling drew comparisons with the famous Italian defender Gentile. Any little boying who made a successful tackle playing chimpombwa called themselves "Gentile" in apparent refernce to Kapambwe Mulenga.
9. Ashios Melu : Having started off as a centre forward both for Zambia and Mufulira Wanderes, Melu later converted to a solid centre half. His defensive displays for Zambia were remarkable. He remains one of the best ever dead ball specialists in the Zambian game.
8. Jones Chilengi : The lanky centre half was a real leader of men. He was captain of the Zambia National Team and Green Buffaloes Football Club for most parts of the 80s. He formed an impregnable fortress in the heart of the Zambian defence with John "Butcher" Mwanza/ Fighton Simukonda.
7. Edwin Mbaso : He was the enduring Zambian full back who shone brightly at the 1974 Nations Cup Final. He went on to win many more caps under the tutelege of the Yugoslavian mentor Ante Buselic.
6. Dickson Makwaza : Another veteran of the Zambia 1974 Nations Cup side with a reputation for solid defending. His pairing with Dick Chama in the Zambian defence became a stuff of legends in the 70s.
5. Kaiser Kalambo : The diminutive Zambian full back had a long international career. He was a hard nut to crack and a firm favourite of the die hard Zambian fans.
4. Elijah Tana : He has been the mainstay and the pillar on which the current Zambian squard rests. He is good in the air and on the tackle. He is also good in dead ball situations.
3. Ackim Musenge : Another veteran of the invincible Zambian team of the mid - 70s and Mufulira Wanderes. Definitely one of the super class of Zambian defenders.
2. Robert Watyakeni : My favourite Zambian defender of all time. He had all the attributes of a top defender. He was especially comfortable on the ball. He may not have had a lond international career but immediately he played his first senior game there was no doubting the fact that the centre-half position was his for life.
1. Dick Chama - The greatest Zambian defender of all time and a real leader of arguably Zambia's best national team (the 1974 team)