By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
FORMER Zambia soccer team coach Boniface Simutowe has said recently appointed Chipolopolo assistant coach Chintu Kampamba has no form of experience to warrant him the position.
And Simutowe has cautioned the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) against underrating the capability of local coaches to take charge of the Chipolopolo.
Simutowe, who was in charge of the national team that beat South Africa 1-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in 1992 in Johannesburg, said that having inexperienced coaches at the national team has an adverse effect on the performance of the team.
He said in an interview that those calling for the revocation of Kampamba’s appointment were doing it in the best interest of the game because the Kabwe Warriors player-assistant coach lacks qualification to merit him the assistant coach position.
The former Profund Warriors trainer recalled that not long ago FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya advised players against rushing into coaching but was surprised to see the same association rushing Kampamba into becoming a coach before undergoing the necessary training.
“Kampamba has no form of experience in coaching and I do not remember of any time that he had attended a coaching course. At Kabwe Warriors he was only in-charge of two games and I do not believe that is enough experience to guarantee him an assistant coach role at national team level.
“Such things can look simple but these are glaring mistakes that have a negative impact on the performance of the team,” he said.
FAZ announced that Kampamba will be an assistant to Chipolopolo coach Patrice Beaumelle and to Fighton Simukonda at the Under-23 level but the appointment has not been well received in certain quarters of the football family with others calling who have since called for his removal.
Simutowe said he was saddened that FAZ overlooked coaches with necessary technical abilities and instead gave the job to Kampamba as if Zambia had a shortage of coaches.
Simutowe, who was one of the coaches of the reconstituted national team after the Gabon disaster, said the appointment of Kampamba was questionable because the towering defender had not retired from football to venture to take up coaching.
“We are not short of capable hands to coach the national soccer team and I believe we have a lot of qualified individuals who should have been given an opportunity to serve on the national team technical bench.
Simutowe’s involvement with the Zambia soccer team dates way back to 1982 when he was assistant coach to Brightwell Banda leading the team to a third place finish at the AFCON finals.
