. Mwale

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE AFRICA Union Sports Council (AUSC) says it is not in order to be spending up to US$25,000 on an expatriate football coach when the local coaching system is suffering.
AUSC Head of Sport, Machacha Shepande said that it was important that local coaches were developed and raised to a certain level from the same money that was being splashed on the foreign coaches.
“Over coaching, I speak with a lot of passion because that is where I come from. But ultimately, African countries are getting to spend a lot of money on expatriates and completing ignoring the local coaches,” he said.
Shepande said it was important that the local coaches get to be trained and a coaching system put in place that will continue churning out quality coaches for all sporting disciplines.
His sentiments supported by Sports Minister Vincent Mwale who said it was time the local coaching system was upgraded so that Zambian trainers could get to the same level like foreigners.
Shepande said the savings that would be coming from engaging locals should be channelled to help improve the coaches.
The AUSC Region Five at the weekend agreed to come up with a regional Coaches Council that will among other things help in the education of local coaches to attain high competence levels.
The Zambian government is looking for US$25, 000 monthly to be paying an expatriate Chipolopolo coach but are having difficulties securing that money.