Guest Article: What next for Zesco Utd?

By Wami Katanga

So the sun has certainly dawned on Zesco United for this season even as they simply, fulfill their remaining three fixtures to finally close what has been a treacherous campaign for the nine-time Zambian champions and 2016 CAF Champions League semi-finalists.

Zesco will finish outside the top four in the MTN Super League for the first time in five seasons and by the standards the club had set for itself, the disappointment couldn’t be deeper.

A number of concerns and lamentations continue to float in and out of Zesco fans’ social media forums and rightly so, but the way forward is what should be the main topic now.

Everyone that is affiliated or follows this club should be part of the solution in one way or the other.

So what should really be the next course of action for this great club in our football?

Zesco United should enter the mode of rebuilding the club and it will have to start with handling the mantle to the right personnel to spearhead the process of resuscitating the club’s status as a title-contending and eventually, a CAF inter-clubs competition side.

So here are my recommendations…

𝟏. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 (𝐂𝐄𝐎)

This should be the paramount task for the club hierarchy at this moment in time.

While urgent, the engagement of a new CEO should also be a well-researched and thoroughly scrutinized process in order to settle for the best candidate with the vision to rekindle the club’s dwindled fortunes.

Great expertise and experience relevant in high-level and modern football as well as devotion to the club, are some of the explicit qualities that should embody the next CEO of Zesco United.

Let there be consultations with the right persons with experience in club administration to ensure that the most suited candidate is selected.

𝟐. 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 & 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟

The new CEO’s recommendation or decision, together with the technical committee, on the choice of the next Head Coach and rest of the technical bench of Zesco United to steer the ship could just turn to be biggest decision of their tenure — it could shape or indeed break their time at the club.

A gaffer with the profile worthy of a top club not only in Zambia but also Africa, is what the next Zesco United head coach should look like.

A modern-day tactician, yet experienced and conversant with Zambian and continental football should be some of the yardsticks in the selection process of the next Head Coach.

𝟑. 𝐀 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬

Another huge task at hand for the new CEO, new head coach and the club’s technical committee will be on the process of strengthening and building a squad to compete for honours.

Zesco is a club for quality players, make no mistake about it.

I will continue to state that one of the reasons Zesco has struggled this season has been the manner in which the recruitment process was handled, especially at the start of the current season.

Going forward, the recruitment process should be distinct of that which saw players with no profile or quality to don the orange and green colours of Team Ya Ziko.

Areas of recruitment will have to be identified vis-a-vis players to be axed as well as signed to strengthen and build a formidable and competitive squad.

Recruitment process is a part I committ to greatly, hence I will soon release my seasonal opinionated article on the INs and OUTs needed at Zesco for next season, be on the look out.

𝟒. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Truth be told, another one of the reasons Zesco United has struggled is because the club has had a number of issues inside the dressing room.

The half-heartedness and unprofessional attitude of some of the players, and senior players for that matter, has costed the club greatly this term.

At the same time, the continued off-field escapades of some of the players is something we have noted for a long time now, players must conduct themselves in a professional manner.

The owners of this club, the Zesco United fans, see you as a you patronize those places while results on the field of play are negative, they wonder if you really care — show them and the club some respect.

I therefore also suggest that a STRICT CODE OF CONDUCT both inside and outside camp be enforced to ensure professional standards are upheld.

So this message goes out to the players and particularly, the team manager as well.

Among the paramount tasks of the new Head Coach and his technical bench will be to instill discipline into the squad and form a united team with the character to fight for each other.

I want to directly name the following players,

Tandi Mwape, Shemmy Mayembe, Solomon Sakala, Kabaso Chongo, Kelvin Mubanga Kampamba, Lindo Mkhonta, Benedict Chepeshi & Levis Opiyo.

As senior players or leaders in the team, Zesco fans call on you to have a private meeting as leaders of the team and chart the way forward and form unity in the squad.

Your vast experience and qualities should inspire younger figures and eventually the club into the right path, therefore TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

𝟓. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 & 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛

With all the investment that will be required to resuscitate the club, I believe the project can yield great success in the near and foreseeable future.

A minimum target of qualification for continental, through clinching of the ABSA Cup or indeed the MTN Super League title, is what should be in the sights of the club in the short-term or for the coming season.

Youth player development through the club’s academies and feeder teams like, Zesco Malaiti Rangers should also be visible in the short and long run.

The club has a pool of qualified coaches with the expertise and football experience to nurture talent that will eventually represent Zesco United in future.

In conclusion,

I would like to urge the fans of Zesco United to remain united and support the club with one voice.

Even the biggest clubs in the world do pass through bad patches and a string of bad results isn’t something odd in football.

The club’s woes of this season may have taken its toll on you but should not dampen your spirit & loyalty to the club.

In spirit of “We Are United”& “Dare To Dream” this club reached great heights in African football and the same spirit can rekindle the club’s glory days.