Former Chipolopolo defender and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champion Hichani Himoonde says the appointment of George Lwandamina has come at a time when the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) should be considering hiring a long-term coach.
FAZ has appointed Nchanga Rangers head coach Lwandamina as interim head coach, with Power Dynamos coach Oswald Mutapa serving as assistant coach.
Himoonde said he supports local coaches but believes they need job security through full-time contracts rather than serving in caretaker roles.
“We are coming from interim head coach Moses Sichone to another interim coach; when will we see maybe a local coach get the full-time role?” he wondered.
“George Lwandamina is an experienced coach who has been part of the game for a long time, and he knows what it takes to be in charge of the national team. I’m equally happy to see coach Mutapa because he has done very well with Power Dynamos in the league.”
Himoonde noted that the team’s progress could be disrupted if the head coach position is not settled before the next AFCON qualifiers.
“Now it is a matter of looking for a permanent coach to take us through the qualifiers. Will the association stick to the local or bring in a foreign coach? That’s an important question that needs to be sorted before the next qualifiers to maintain the team’s momentum,” he stated.
“I would support the appointment of a local coach for the permanent position, but the terms have been too equal to what a foreign coach gets; that way it keeps them motivated to do more for the country.”
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