. Mawere

By SANDRA MWILA –
SPORTS minister Moses Mawere has said Chipolopolo interim coach Wedson Nyirenda’s contract has been submitted to Attorney General Likando Kalaluka for legal advice.
Speaking when he featured on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation    programme called ‘The Issue Today-Tonight’, Mawere said Government will soon conclude the engagement of Nyirenda to place him as a permanent contracted Chipolopolo coach.
Nyirenda was initially appointed assistant coach in September this year pending the engagement of an expatriate coach by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) for the Chipolopolo.
“We have reached an advanced stage in terms of the national team coach and his contract as you know is government’s responsibility, his draft contract had been submitted to the Attorney General.
“FAZ gave Government two options between a local and an expatriate coach, we have decided for a local one and once that legal opinion is given, we will give him a contract and he will be well remunerated,” Mawere said.
Nyirenda took over the Chipolopolo job in September after FAZ relieved coach George Lwandamina of his duties.
Nyirenda was engaged after government indicated they had no money to engage an expatriate coach.
FAZ had initially held interviews for an expatriate coach and seemed to have settled for former South African coach Gordon Igesund.
However, President Edgar Lungu said that the Chipolopolo was in good hands with Nyirenda.
And Mawere said the country’s football standards are still in the transitional period and things are yet to get better.
“We are still in the recovery mode as a country when it comes to football, what we need now is the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to ensure that we regain the lost glory,” he said.
Meanwhile, Football Association of Zambia General Secretary Ponga Liwewe, who was also on the panel, said the association remains resolute to revive the fortunes of Zambian football.
“We inherited a team that had already started qualifiers of the Africa Cup of nations and it was difficult for us to get the results that we wanted but over the last two matches, you can see that things are beginning to turn around in the team’s performance with the arrival of Wedson Nyirenda,” Liwewe said.