By KALUMIANA KALUMIANA, NDINAWE SIMPELWE and SANDRA MWILA –

POWER Dynamos have opted to stay mute as the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) desperately tries to entice newly appointed coach Danny Kabwe to skip work and guide the Chipolopolo at the Namibia 2016 COSAFA Castle Cup.
Meanwhile, Zambia Prisons Service assistant commissioner George Magwende has been appointed Chipolopolo team doctor replacing 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Joseph Kabungo.
Power club secretary Ricky Mamfunda insisted in an interview that he was not aware of a possible dual role for Kabwe.
“Well, from the side of management we can’t comment because we are also just reading about it from the media. As you are aware, FAZ has an official way of communicating to clubs,” Mamfunda said.
Mamfunda declined to give an affirmative answer when asked whether Power would consider releasing Kabwe if FAZ were to officially request for his services.
“We will cross the bridge when we get there,” Mamfunda said.
The Chipolopolo are in a coach quandary following recalls of head coach George Lwandamina and his assistants Aggrey Chiyangi and Elijah Chikwanda by their employers to concentrate on club duties leaving only novice Chintu Kampamba available to drill the team.
But FAZ, despite engaging Power to have the services of Kabwe and also hinting on employing an expatriate coach, insist Lwandamina will remain Chipolopolo head coach despite not leading the team at the COSAFA tournament.
FAZ general secretary Ponga Liwewe said the association will maintain Lwandamina but was in talks with Power to engage Kabwe to lead Chipolopolo in the absence of the head coach.
Liwewe said FAZ understood the huge task Lwandamina was facing to coach Zesco through the CAF Champions’ League with the first game coinciding with Chipolopolo’s COSAFA Cup fixture.
“Lwandamina still remains the head coach and will revert to his role immediately after the COSAFA. We understand the important task he has at his club Zesco so we released him to concentrate on that. Right now we are in discussion with Power Dynamos to have Dan Kabwe as the assistant to Lwandamina,” Liwewe said.
Liwewe added that both Chiyangi and Chikwanda were expected to return to the national team after being with their clubs for league games.
He said the association had not received any correspondence from both Nkana and Nkwazi to withdraw their coaches from the national team.
Meanwhile, Liwewe said Magwende, a former national Under-20 team doctor, will head up the Chipolopolo medical team.
Liwewe said the changes have been made to the medical committee and that Magwende’s appointment as head of the medical committee automatically makes him national team doctor.
“Changes have been made to the medical committee structure. Magwende will head the medical committee and automatically becomes Chipolopolo team doctor,” Liwewe said.
Liwewe said it was not clear yet if Magwende will take up the role ahead of the COSAFA Castle Cup tournament as he was still in talks with his employers.