It is unthinkable on the part of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to be contemplating on hiring an Expatriate coach for the Zambia national men’s football team, at the expense of a robust football development approach in the country. It is common knowledge that the country is in critical need for a vigorous revolution in football, which is increasingly becoming an important tool in promoting a multicultural and integrated society, as Zambia searches for a uniting inter-tribal identity. However, developing football top down instead of vice versa is not so sustainable in a country with meagre resources. The resources that are earmarked for an Expatriate coach, understood to be in colossal amounts, can instead go a long way, if utilised in developing grassroots football and other youth development initiatives.
If the various national teams that represent Zambia at different levels have to make an impact, then development has to start from the bottom, that is, the grassroots, and not from the top as in the men`s national football team. Zambia has able men and women that can do this job effectively at reasonable rates, for as long as they are given the resources needed to undertake this responsibility. The inferiority complex of always thinking that only a “Muzungu” will come to sort out Zambia’s local challenges, should once and for all, come to an end. Of course, there are areas in the country in which Zambia might need an Expatriate to come and lead for a certain stated period, such as making an Aeroplane engine for the soon to be reinstated Zambia Airways, but not for coaching a football team that meets fortnightly. A rotation of local coaches from the top professional teams in the country has always been a good solution, and must be sustained.
The recent under performance of the men’s national football team cannot entirely be blamed on the coaching staff, but on how football development, and sport in general is organised and structured in the country, especially at grassroots level. For a long time, grassroots level sport in the country has been neglected by different stakeholders including government institutions tasked to develop it. For example, 55 years after the country’s Independence from the colonial powers, Zambia does not have a single Primary or Secondary School majoring in sport and physical activities or one that has a deliberate Sports Education Curriculum Model. On the other hand, Kwame Nkrumah University College in Kabwe that has for years produced great men and women running sport in the country do not even have a running track, a standard football pitch nor a basic gymnasium that a College or University offering Sport Education Courses should naturally have. Despite all that, should FAZ be fixated on spending colossal amounts of resources on a single Expatriate to come and teach Zambians only about how to qualify and win the Africa and World Cups, instead of investing the money into the missing sports infrastructure first? FAZ ought to think twice.
Of course, football has taken the world by storm, to use a cliché, and each country would like to associate itself with the trend. However, countries with meagre resources like Zambia should be very careful in the way they want to participate in football business, which unfortunately has become complex and intrinsically controlled by powerful cartels within institutions locally and internationally. Just because Denmark has a foreign coach does not mean, even Zambia should hire one. For Denmark to involve a foreign coach for the men`s national team, it is probably because they have satisfied their grassroots base. Each community has standard football pitches to cater for the population of youths in that particular geographical area, and the youths are naturally going up the ladder and into the various national teams. Considering how much money Zambia has spent on hiring Expatriate coaches for the men`s national team starting with the famous Herve Renard, it must surely be an amount that is able to build high standard football pitches for grassroots football across the country. From Namushakende in Western Province to Nabwalya in Muchinga Province, from Kabanda Yejima Yejima in North-Western Province, to Siatwinda in Southern Province, from Mpweto in Luapula Province to Mlolo in Eastern Province. FAZ could invest in basic sports infrastructure to support football development that could become a beacon for other sports disciplines as well. Thousands of youths could then enjoy these facilities and structures that could in turn support the development of their skills for the benefit of the country.
It is sad to note that community football pitches such as the Kalingalinga ground in Lusaka that has produced national team material, such as Fwayo Tembo, Roger Kola, Boyd Mwila, Jimmy Njobvu, Racha Kola, Hichani Himoonde, Given Singuluma, Justine Zulu and William Njobvu to name but a few are still dust “Kalukungu” pitches.
It is sad to note that community football pitches such as the Kalingalinga ground in Lusaka that has produced national team material, such as Fwayo Tembo, Roger Kola, Boyd Mwila, Jimmy Njobvu, Racha Kola, Hichani Himoonde, Given Singuluma, Justine Zulu and William Njobvu to name but a few are still dust “Kalukungu” pitches. FAZ should be courageous enough to reset their mode of operation from focusing too much on the men`s national team where they spend colossal resources, to focusing on grassroots football development. This is the time for FAZ to emulate what other partners in football development in the country are doing. For example, the efforts that the Bauleni United Sports Academy (BUSA) in Lusaka has embarked on, should be commended and supported by FAZ and other government wings charged with youth development. By their own initiative of lobbying from local and international partners in youth development, BUSA has adopted a football pitch and a running track at a local primary school. They have created water articulation points that help in taking care of the grass, in addition to providing 24 hours security. As a result of such efforts, BUSA has contributed a huge stake to the women`s national team with the likes of Hellen Mubanga, Barbra Banda, Mary Mwakapila, Mary Mulenga and Judith Zulu to name but a few.
That said, FAZ does not need a Blue Print from abroad for football development when we have institutions in the country trying out new strategies that are after all working. FAZ should not shy away from adopting other ways of implementing football education such as the BUSA strategy. Other sport for development NGO`s in Zambia such as the EduSport Foundation, Sport in Action and NOWSPAR among others, have done their part in believing in the grassroot sports base, especially in the under-served communities. In the late 1990`s these NGOs together with a few community based football academies like Chiparamba Great Eagles, Lusaka Youth Sports Academy, EduSport United Soccer Academy, and Afri-Sports United of Kitwe etc, started a ripple of community football development. It could be argued that this process that started in the late 1990`s culminated into the Zambia men`s team winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. FAZ affiliated professional teams benefited from this process too, but did very little to directly support these institutions that clearly contributed positively to the building of their competitive leagues, and ultimately feeding into the various national teams.
Zambia has abundant raw material in terms of young talent, but all that is required is a more organised and progressive system that could help the youths develop and blossom into national team material and responsible citizens. FAZ has this important opportunity to harness the power of football by developing the base first before focusing too much at the top. FAZ should highly invest in community football at grassroots level by providing countrywide structures and contributing directly to infrastructure development in every corner of the country, and not just along the line of rail. The youth gangs that recently terrorised innocent citizens like the Tokota Boys and the SOD of Kitwe could be prevented if organised sports and recreation facilities are adequate for the growing youth populations in the country. The power of football and other sports could be used in this regard, and FAZ should not close their eyes by focusing only on professional football, when the under-served communities need basic sports infrastructure. Workable partnerships with different stakeholders like the business community, the Sports NGOs, the local schools, the sports academies and the local civic leaders could be a way forward. The newly established artificial pitches in Lusaka is one example where FAZ could zero in, establish partnerships beyond a handshake, and expand similar concepts to other areas in need.
FAZ should start operating outside the box by deliberately investing in a youth driven project (Talent Bank) that will nurture sports talent from all parts of the country, a project that will inspire every youth to attend, a project that will provide camping facilities to different community football academies and professional football clubs. A serious project that will not only nurture sports talent but also, one which could equally produce basic sports equipment using local material. It is quite frustrating to note that we are in the 2nd Decade of the 21st Century, Zambia cannot still produce any basic sports apparatus such as nets, balls, water bottles, bibs, cones and so on locally, when the country has abundant raw material like rubber and leather. FAZ is capable of supporting local communities with basic facilities installed with water articulation and lighting systems that could allow youths to participate in activities even after hours. The abundance of ground water and a powerful sun light in Zambia could be taken advantage of to provide solar powered water supply and floodlights in these community sports and recreation facilities for youths. All that such projects need to do is, doing things differently to suit the local context rather than what other countries are doing. As PLO Lumumba emphasises, it is time for African institutions to carve out their own destiny as demanded by local needs, rather than how other regions are doing it.
Winning the Africa Cup or the World Cup is great, and it brings happiness to the winning country. However, it does not add much value to the country as compared to the value, investing in basic grassroots sports facilities and programmes could bring. Thus, FAZ should think twice where to invest more if they have to achieve big on the international stage, as there are no quick fixes, but long-term investment. The Africa Cup and the World Cup could easily be achieved if proper investment in local communities is satisfied, and that might be the gap missing in the development of football in the country. Brazil for example has reached high levels in world football because in every corner of any local community, there is an organised sports ground for children and youth utilisation, supported by the FA and the government. In this regard, FAZ could invest heavily in the Teachers Colleges by providing them with a sports coaching and management education package, because Teachers are found in every corner of the country upon graduation. Thus, FAZ could be assured of spreading their tentacles across the country through the Teachers Colleges sports education model.
At another level, instead of keeping on hiring and firing foreign coaches, FAZ through government could engage more established countries in football development where coach education training or attachments could be done. Zambian aspiring coaches, especially the youth could be attached to different clubs at international level for longer periods ranging from 6 months to 3 years, so as to learn the ropes of becoming confident football coaches and managers. The difference between a local coach and an Expatriate “Muzungu” could only be the absence of exposure to other systems that are seemingly doing better than Zambia. Thus, engaging international partners to help provide long-term attachments in their respective countries could be a sustainable solution than serially hiring and firing coaches. However, all things considered, the current stream of local coaches are capable enough to coach the senior men`s national team as the country prioritises investing in grassroot football development and coach education.
By Kabanda Mwansa
The author is a Zambian social commentator and a PhD research fellow at the Centre for Child and Youth Competence Development at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. He is also the co-founder of the EduSport Foundation, Zambia.
I agree with you, but you also didn’t need to display your CV. It’s like you have joined the long list of those that believe that thinking begins with an academic degree. Zambia is full of people who can’t think properly, some are in higher office. Unless we do it ourselves no one will respect us. Look at how a Nigerian has embarrassed the PF!
“Look at how a Nigerian has embarrassed the PF”
IF ONE SEER1 CAN DESTROY A PARTY LIKE THAT IN ONE WEEK,
WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION IN ZAMBIA.
LEARN FROM SEER1.
PERSONALLY, I FEEL SORRY FOR PATRIOTIC FRONT.
THIS DAMAGE IS “COLOSSAL”
IT WILL COST HEAVILY……
Very well articulated ba Mwansa, its time institutions like FAZ started thinking outside the box. Too much copy and paste without thinking through, and considering the contextual realities on the ground.
We have to understand that for FAZ to to start generating money for grassroots football , they have to start filling stadiums.
And to fill stadiums , chipolopolo have to be winning Matches.
And to be wining matches they need top coaching.
Do we Wait untill we develop grassroots ? Or do we get a top coach to be winning Matches to generate funds and plough that into grass roots ???
I don’t care if the coach is an alien or a hyena as long as he ensures us winning competitions
I am trying to fyola this guy but I am failing to spell it
Foreign coaches are very important when rebuilding a team. They eliminate favoritism and lack of professionalism which is common with our local coaches.
Foreign coaches are better placed to tell the FAZ technical committee and other influential members of the football fraternity that their preferred defender or striker are not national team material.Ante Buselic always chose Bernard Chanda over Godfrey Chitalu(Zambias best striker).
Godfrey Chitalu himself was one of those rare local coaches. He would make Kalusha Bwalya(PSV, Africa Footballer of the year) sit on the bench because Timothy Mwitwa,Numba Mwila and Kelvin Mutale were equally capable. Charles Musonda with his attitude could not even make UCAR’s team.With some of our Zambian coaches of the past there favoritism towards…
…. Nkana or Power Dynamos players.This demoralizes other players who may wish to play for the national team.
Following the success of the under 20 team, there was pressure to include the young boys in the Senior national team.Our local coaches forgot that the U20 boys played direct football unlike the Senior team who had ball holding players like Kalaba, Chama etc. Two different systems clashed.We all know the current status of the national team.
A good foreign coach is usually above those football pressures and can see the bigger picture.
Foreign coaches eliminate favouritism , tribalism, and political alignment. Foreign coaches in addition are more exposed to modern methods in coaching. It’s over 50 yrs of independence and still we do not have a local FIFA approved training centre for coaches and here we are we are still arguing whether we need a local coach or not ? Come on people , Talk won’t sort out the lethargy in Zambian football management.
So which top Zambian coach has not been tried for the top job? Any suggestions? Please learn to walk the talk. Talk is cheap, ba author. Truth is we have tried them all but they have failed us lamentably.
To borrow from the economists, the demand for a foreign coach is a ” derived demand”. No one wants a foreign coach just for the sake of it.
has AK read this article limbi kuti atolamo amano. It was very painful for me to see him speak on Super sport Africa. Does he think hiring a foreign coach will improve results in Zambia? He is consistently inconsistent
Just like Zambia depends on foreign aid and handouts so should you depend on foreign coaches to bring glory to Zambia in sports. if i recall it was a white coach that brought glory to Zambia and when i look at the records on Zambian Football white coaches have done way better than our own local coaches. The difference is that the white coaches focus on the doing the job while the Zambian ones only care about food on their tables, cash in their pockets and a status as a coach but no strategy no winning tactic as long as ka allowance kangena. the thing is while the white coaches focus on working with players that can do the job on merit, the zambian coaches get players to srew up the job on bribery. Change bane.
Just like Zambia depends on foreign aid and handouts so should you depend on foreign coaches to bring glory to Zambia in sports. if i recall it was an expatriate coach that brought glory to Zambia and when i look at the records on Zambian Football expatriate coaches have done way better than our own local coaches. The difference is that the expatriate coaches focus on the doing the job while the Zambian ones only care about food on their tables, cash in their pockets and a status as a coach but no strategy no winning tactic as long as ka allowance kangena. the thing is while the expatriate coaches focus on working with players that can do the job on merit, the zambian coaches get players to mess up the job on bribery. Change bane.
I didn’t care to finish this article, the premise is flawed. ZAMBIA NEEDED A FOREIGN LIKE 4 YEARS AGO.
Thanks for so passionately trying to take the argument to another level though the basic factors disfavouring local coaches as alluded to by many above will for long continue influencing the odds
The standard talk after a Zambia national soccer team match – we played well. With that you don’t need a foreign coach. it is just working on the mindset to bring that killer instinct in our players. Then that yaba we shout each time they miss the many seaters will be gone.
This is a great reality check for FAZ, we need such progressive thinking if we have to take our great game to another level. Tafisa nga meno yamukanwa, people need a long term investiment, otherwise naku Quata 2022 tatwakaye if we don’t hid to what the author is communicating. Bola ya mu Zambia ifuma mu komboni, and if we keep on neglecting komboni facilities, then we don’t know what we are doing as a country. Take the message seriously ba FAZ, it has a lot of substance in it. We need such passionate Zambians if we have to move with time.
Namumfwa ba FAZ, tapali ichibumba. If you want Zambia to qualify to the World Cup in 2022 and beyond, please invest in the grassroots. Just check how Bauleni has done with their Kalukungu stadium, please umfweniko insoni please. Your offices are just a stone throw from Kalingalinga and you know the ground there is always packed with children and youths, please give them the greens as Bauleni has done, then they will bring you the World Cup. Well written article.
Namumfwa ba FAZ, tapali ichibumba. If you want Zambia to qualify to the World Cup in 2022 and beyond, please invest in the grassroots. Just check how Bauleni has done with their Kalukungu stadium, please umfweniko insoni please. Your offices are just a stone throw from Kalingalinga and you know the ground there is always packed with children and youths, please give them the greens as Bauleni has done, then they will bring you the World Cup. Well written articl
The policy on expatriate personnel in most parts of the world is that you only employ them if you can’t find suitable local personal. The question then is do we have a local or locals that can deliver? I’m afraid not at the moment. Or for how long are we going to put the destiny of the budding talent of young Zambians into the hands of the non performing coaches? Nationalism is always good but should not be entertained where local capacities are pathetically lacking
Expertriate niwamene, but not when the instruments and tools to aid the process are begging. You need to look at the tools first before focussing on the end product. Grassroot development is the key word here. Which ever coach that will be employed will never make it for as long as there is no proper investment in the grassroots. The women’s national team is doing better than the men with a big number coming from Bauleni, why? Its because in Bauleni there is a komboni facility motivating them to play and win. FAZ should do more in that area. Uyu muntu nalemba bwino sana, come on guys!!
Last week I took time watching the local league football on TV the game was between Kabwe warriors and Nkwazi football club..Suprisingly it was poorly officiated by match officials the Linesman couldnt see the second goal scored by one of the Kabwe warriors player.The ball was short at long range hit the goal post and bounced inside the goal of Nkwazi the referee equally ignored that goal. And the game went on without any VAR checkup and confirmation.When will FAZ organise and start using such modern equipment like the VAR at every Match?No wonder we are used to watch EPL.
Namumfwa ba FAZ, tapali ichibumba. If you want Zambia to qualify to the World Cup in 2022 and beyond, please invest in the grassroots. Just check how Bauleni has done with their Kalukungu stadium, please umfweniko insoni please. Your offices are just a stone throw from Kalingalinga and you know the ground there is always packed with children and youths, please give them the greens as Bauleni has done, then they will bring you the World Cup. Well written article
Ba Kabanda, I couldn’t even finish reading because you don’t seem to understand the reason for hiring a foreign coach. The national football team coach job does not have anything to do with national youth football development. So what are you going on about? Or are you suggesting that you want to be the coach because all the coaches we have in the country at the moment have either been tried or are not good enough.
The question is about qualifications. Do we have qualified coaches to manage our national team?
Author where have you been all this while to bring the issue of local coaches now?
Have you been paid to bring confusion on the current process of hiring ‘Micho’ the new Chipolopolo coach? Micho’s CV is good, checkout his profile. FAZ has done a great job.
You should have raised your concerns last year and not now. This is typical Zambian behavior of talking in the last minute.
We are in critical need of a coach who will deliver ASAP, year 2020 has busy football schedule for the Chipolopolo, so you can hire your local coach and use him elsewhere.
I agree with you 100% on development of football from the grassroots.