By SANDRA MWILA –
VETERAN football administrator Simaata Simaata has hailed the appointment of Under-23 coach Fighton Simukonda to beef up the Chipolopolo technical bench.
. Simaata
Simaata said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Simukonda was an experienced coach but cautioned that it would only be unfortunate if the veteran trainer had been imposed on Chipolopolo coach Honour Janza.
He said Simukonda had drilled the national team before and would have no challenges to lead the Chipolopolo to the 2015 Council of South African Football Associations (COSAFA) Senior Challenge Cup in South Africa next month.
Impeccable sources at Football House told Times that Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya allegedly told Simukonda to help with the Chipolopolo last Sunday after his Under-23 side failed to qualify to the 2015 All-Africa Games following a 1-2 loss to Nigeria.
“I have the confidence in Simukonda’s abilities to coach the national team but it will be unfortunate if he has been imposed on Janza because they will not work well together,” Simaata said.
Simaata said in modern football imposing coaches does not work regardless of their experience and credentials.
He said the two coaches should find a common ground to work together as they lead the Chipolopolo to the COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup that kicks off on May 17 in South Africa.
“The two are professionals and they should find a common ground to work together and lead the team for the sake of Zambians. They are victims of a poorly run administration,” he said.
Simataa said the current FAZ executive had done little to develop Zambian football and warned that the worst was yet to come.
“We are complaining of the national teams being booted out of the African tournaments and others failing to qualify its simply because of the administration, I can assure you the worst is yet to come,’’ he said.
He explained the consequences of the current FAZ executive would be felt in about six years from now.
Simaata charged that the success recorded by Zambian football such as the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations triumph were not fruits of the Kalusha-executive but that of Evaristo Kasunga.
