By JACK MWEWA –
NATIONAL soccer team goal keeping coach Davies Phiri says Zambian local league teams need to consider engaging goalkeeping coaches seriously as it is with other technical staff.
Phiri said by engaging goalkeeping coaches, the national team will have a wider pool from where they could choose quality goalkeepers.
He said this development would also ease national team coaches’ work of shaping up goalkeepers selected for national duty.
“Our league need to reach a level where every team as specific coaches in all departments including that of goal keeping, this move will provide national team coaches with a wider selection,” he said.
Phiri said in an interview last weekend that Zambia soccer team needed to have at least five goalkeepers who could easily be entrusted with national duties whenever need arose.
“We don’t have quality goal keepers; we need, at least five goal minders with abilities to adapt to international standards,” he said.
Phiri described the trio of Toaster Nsabata, Danny Munyau and Joshua Titima that have deputised first choice Kennedy Mweene as brave and easy to teach keepers with the required height.
“The fact that Danny Munyau went out of action for some time and still found his position for national call up indicates that there is less competition among goalkeepers,” Phiri said.
He said a good goalkeeper is one who is courageous to face opposing strikers without fear.
Commenting on Nsabata’s performance in some international games, Phiri said he was on the right course, except that he was rushed to handle big games.
“Toaster is a brave goalkeeper, he is easy to teach and has the correct height for a goal minder, we could have rushed him to handle bigger international matches, but he is on the right track,” he said.
After Kalililo Kakonje, who was recently dropped as second choice keeper, Nsabata, Munyau and Titima have interchangeably stood in.