.JANZA

By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE and KALUMIANA KALUMIANA –

HONOUR Janza is undecided on taking up the offer by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to take charge of the Chipolopolo ahead of the 2015 COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup tournament in May.
FAZ president Kalusha on Saturday revealed that Janza would not be given a permanent contract and that a much more qualified foreigner would be hired to replace him.
The revelation angered Janza, who even snubbed Kalusha at half time and at the end of the friendly match against Rwanda, saying he felt betrayed that his contractual issues could be discussed in public before he was told.
But FAZ rescinded the decision to do away with Janza saying he was still in charge of the national soccer team as acting head coach and will also continue as technical director.
FAZ communications manager Nkweto Tembwe said in a statement that Janza has been currently tasked with coming up with the national team which should vie for honours at the COSAFA tournament to be held in South Africa.
However Janza, who had his mobile phones switched off most of the time, said he was still trying to digest the idea despite FAZ issuing a statement.
“I am not sure yet whether I will be the one to lead the team to COSAFA. I need to think about it,” Janza said.
On Monday, Janza told the BBC that there has been a lot of hide and seek at FAZ and that he was not happy.
“I am not happy with the way I have been treated. I don’t think I can trust anyone and I am saying this from deep down my heart. I have not differed with anyone but I am not happy with the way I have been treated.
“There’s been a lot of hide and seek and that’s not nice in the game of football and when managing other human beings,” he said.
Tembwe said Janza had expressed his willingness and commitment to Zambian football at any level.
Janza, who is a holder of UEFA B licence, has been associated with Chipolopolo and other junior teams, including the women age group squads.
Tembwe also said that the statement about Janza’s qualification over the weekend by Kalusha was not a vote of no confidence in the coach, but a desire to raise the profile of all the coaches in the country.
“It is the Association’s wish to train all coaches at club and national level so that the standards of football in the country are in line with what is obtaining in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Napsa Stars chairperson Richie Nawa has said the revelation of Janza’s contractual status by FAZ was a breach of employer/employee confidentially.
Nawa said in an interview that it was unnecessary to hire a foreigner if FAZ had the capacity train a local coach like Janza to match the profile they are looking for to manage the national team.
“The contract of employment is a matter between the employee and the employer. It is not for public consumption. If you find him to be lacking, why don’t you take him for training instead of engaging an expatriate coach?
“Why doesn’t Kalusha Bwalya take him for training to bring him to the standard at which they want because I believe he is trainable, he is a capable coach and so if he has shown that capacity he is capable of being trained to that profile they need,” he said.
Janza, whose record currently stands at five wins, five draws and three defeats, has been in interim charge of Chipolopolo since August, 2014 when he took over from Patrice Beaumelle, who left to take up the Cote d’Ivoire assistant job.