By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
THE Zambia Football Coaches Association (ZAFCA) has insisted that there is no need for the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to engage an expatriate coach when the country has capable coaches to drill the Chipolopolo.
ZAFCA has also called on FAZ to handle the status of caretaker coach Honour Janza, who was appointed last year, administratively.
FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya 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.
ZAFCA vice-president Lewis Shambulo, who was among an all Zambian technical bench that was tasked to rebuild the squad following the 1993 Gabon Air disaster, said that the coaches’ body will not backtrack on its quest to push for a local coach to take over the Chipolopolo.
Shambulo said yesterday that FAZ always faces challenges when it comes to paying foreign coaches who demand huge amounts of money for the job which Zambians can do.
“We feel hiring a foreign coach is unnecessary because as we have always said, there are good quality local coaches that deliver positive results with the team. We have always faced problems in paying foreign coaches.
The idea of sending local coaches for training is welcome I think that’s what should be done if we want them to reach the levels of expatriates. We shouldn’t spend huge sums of money on one person instead of channelling it to football development,” Shambulo said.
Shambulo further urged FAZ to seek  audience with Janza, who has now been tasked with coming up with the national team which should vie for honours at the COSAFA tournament to be held in South Africa.
“Anyone would be upset with how his contractual issue is being handled but I think all the concerned should sit at a round table to resolve the outstanding issues amicably,” he said.