On Monday, several reports emerged on social media alleging that the Croatian gaffer is leaving the Chipolopolo coaching role nine months after his appointment.
The reports further stated that Asanović left Zambia shortly after winning the 2022 Council of southern African Football Associations Cup (COSAFA) but FAZ confirmed on Wednesday morning in a statement that the coach has not yet reported for duty since Zambia’s 1-0 home loss to Mozambique on July 30 in the African Nations Championship(CHAN) qualifiers which saw the Chipolopolo boys get eliminated in the first round.
The team is without head coach Aljosa Asanovic who has been away from duty for over one month and efforts to get him back so far have been unsuccessful. With the Chipolopolo having many engagements and the league fully active, our expectation was that the head coach would be on station to preside over these engagements,
says FAZ secretary General Adrian Kashala.
Kashala added that the local assistants will take charge of the Chipolopolo boys who are already in camp in Bamako for two friendly matches against Mali on the 23rd and 26th of September 2022 and assured the general public that FAZ will deal with the matter of the head coach internally.
However, FAZ has not explained what has led the coach to snub them but a letter dated 28th August 2022 believed to be from Asanović’s lawyers representing Radic and Radic law firm, indicates that the Croatian is demanding his unpaid dues amounting to a sum of US$66,000 which includes his alleged outstanding salary of US$25,000, while US$41,000 is said to be the unsettled amount from previous months, which the association has neither confirmed nor denied in their recent statement.
Asanovic was appointed in January 2022 on a four-year performance-based contract and immediately took charge of the Chipolopolo boys alongside his first assistant Karol Prazenica of Slovakia, Serbian Video Analyst Stefan Ceravic, Goalkeeper coach and Physical trainer Tonci Gabric and Hrvoje Matijevic respectively, both from Croatia.
The Crot took over from current Nkana FC coach Beston Chambeshi after serving as his technical director, seven months before he was appointed head coach.
Asanovic has been in charge of the Chipolopolo boys for eight games out of which he managed to win three times and lost four games across all competitions.
His tally of wins includes two against Senegal and Namibia at the 2022 COSAFA cup which he won to become the first expatriate coach to win the regional trophy with Zambia since the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winning coach Herve Renard who achieved the feat in 2013.
