Kennedy Mweene, who announced his retirement from playing football this year in July, says he is worried that the Zambia National Team up to now seems not to have a first-choice goalkeeper.
Since his appointment, coach Avram Grant has used three goalkeepers: Zesco United’s Toasta Nsabanta, Lawrance Mulenga of Power Dynamos, and recently Green Buffaloes’ Francis Mwansa, in the last two friendly games against Uganda and Egypt.
“To be honest, it is worrying,” Mweene said in a live Facebook interview on BolaNews. “We can’t be changing goalkeepers every now and then. It’s worrying that we don’t have a first-choice goalkeeper with the World Cup qualifiers and AFCON fast approaching.”
Mweene, who is now an assistant goalkeeper coach at Mamelodi Sundowns FC, added that the team needs a first-choice goalkeeper to develop chemistry with the defenders.
“By now, we should have had our number one goalkeeper. We now look like we are unstable. A first-choice goalkeeper is needed; we cannot continue like this.
“We need a first-choice goalkeeper for the team to have confidence in whoever is there; the defence also needs to build a relationship and get used to one goalkeeper; I don’t think we have managed to establish that yet,” said Mweene.
Mweene’s message to the goalkeepers
The former Chipolopolo goalkeeper and Zambia’s most-capped international also challenged the goalkeepers to improve their game.
“It’s up to the goalkeepers to show the coach that they are ready to be the number one. We don’t know what is happening in training; the goalkeepers should give confidence to the coach but time is running out and the coach should now maintain one.”
When asked why he thinks Grant has been changing goalkeepers, Mweene answered, “I would say they are lacking consistency.”
“I think they are not giving confidence to the technical bench. The coach is having problems deciding who should be the number one.”
In two weeks, the Chipolopolo will begin their quest for a maiden FIFA World Cup appearance.
They will host Congo Brazzaville on November 15 before playing Niger three days later on November 18 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
