By SANDRA MWILA –
FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga says the position of Zambia national team head coach is not vacant.
Kamanga said Wedson Nyirenda was currently occupying the position but that Football House could not stop coaches looking for work dropping in their applications.
Football House has received a rush of CVs (Curriculum Vitae) from expatriate coaches who have expressed interest in the Chipolopolo job despite there being no adverts announcing an opening.
Seven expatriate coaches have so far expressed interest in coaching the Chipolopolo and among them are Italian and former Zambia coach Dario Bonetti, Frenchmen Didier Six, Antonie Hey, Germans Rone Lobelle and Dietmat Demuth, and recently Serbian Zoran Djordjevic.
Bonetti looks favourite having coached the Chipolopolo from 2010 -2011 and was credited for assembling the squad that went on to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Frenchman Herve Renard.
While the position of Nyirenda remained unclear after the meeting with Sports Minister Moses Mawere and FAZ, it is believed the two parties are trying to find an amicable manner to part ways with plans to send Nyirenda and his assistant coaches to Europe for further training on cards.
But Kamanga in an interview yesterday insisted that Nyirenda was still coach and was even on duty with the Under 20 team that is in Malawi preparing for the Niger 2019 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda.
“The current coach has a contract and there is no vacancy in that position. We are receiving applications yes and we can’t stop people from expressing interest in the job,” Kamanga said.
He said it was normal for the association to receive applications like in any institution despite them not advertising for the position.
“If there will be a vacancy we shall announce. For now we shall keep their CV’s and look at them when we have a vacancy. But even then, we shall have to follow the due process before shortlisting a candidate.” Kamanga said.