By SANDRA MWILA –
FORMER South Africa coach Gordon Igesund and Raoul Savoy are among the five coaches shortlisted and expected to attend interviews for the Chipolopolo job.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Sebastien Desabre was yesterday subjected to a three-hour wait at Football House before a five-man committee interviewed him.
Igesund is expected in the country to be interviewed by the committee at Football House. The South African has coached SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, Ajax Cape Town, Orlando Pirates and won four Premier Soccer League trophies with four different clubs.
Swiss Savoy was fired by Gambia on December 5, a decision he refused and maintained he was still coach.
He has also coached countries like Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Swaziland.
Desabre arrived at Football House as early as 08:30 hours and was ushered into the boardroom by FAZ staff, where he endured a long wait before the interviewing panel arrived with former Zambia coach Fred Mwila the first to arrive around 09:00 hours.
The interviewing panel comprised Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) executive member Joseph Mulenga, deputy general secretary Lombe Mbalashi, football commentator Ivan Lengwe and member of the technical committee John Moyo.
Desabre seemed restless as he frequently wandered out and back into the boardroom as he glanced at the notice board and pictures of the Chipolopolo winning the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
After the torturous wait, Desabre was moved out of the boardroom for the panel to settle and was called back in by Mbalashi for an interview which ended around 13:26 hours.
Desbre walked out of the interview room but remained tight-lipped, refusing to give a comment on his interview and possible engagement as Chipolopolo coach before he was whisked away by a FAZ driver around 13:45 hours.
Desabre has had successful stints in Africa with ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, Ghanaian club Coton Sport and Recreativo de Libolo of Angola and is coach for JS Sapura of Algeria.
FAZ are in search of an expatriate coach to drill the Chipolopolo during the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers with the minimum qualification for the coach set as a UEFA-A Licence.
The other résumé FAZ is looking for is success in Africa.