The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has announced the appointment of Moses Sichone as the new head coach of the Zambia Men’s National Team, replacing Avram Grant, who mutually parted ways with the association last month following a string of poor results that saw Zambia fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sichone, 48, is a former Chipolopolo defender who spent most of his professional career in Germany, featuring for clubs such as FC Köln and Augsburg. He served as Grant’s assistant coach from 2022 until his promotion to the top job.
He was part of the technical bench at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and also represented Zambia as a player at the 2000 and 2002 editions of the continental tournament.
Sichone began his coaching career in 2013 with Alemannia Aachen in Germany, where he worked with the youth teams until 2017. He later served as Technical Director at FAZ from 2017 to 2018 before taking charge of FC Rhenania Lohn between 2019 and 2020. From 2020 to 2022, he was the Under-17 coach at Viktoria Köln.
Mweene joins Chipolopolo technical bench
Meanwhile, Sichone’s technical bench includes Germany-based former Chipolopolo international Andrew Sinkala as assistant coach, Green Eagles head coach Perry Mutapa as second assistant, and Mamelodi Sundowns’ AFCON-winning goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene as goalkeepers’ coach. AFCON winner Joseph Musonda will serve as physical trainer, while Noel Mwandila takes charge as strikers’ coach.
“FAZ considered the unique circumstances of scouting for a coach in the short term and opted to install confidence in local resources with great international exposure. The combined assemblage of our new technical bench has enough experience from their playing days in top leagues. Collectively their transitioning to coaching after their playing days has been admirable and has been under our watch over the years,” FAZ General Secretary Machacha Shepande was qouted as saying in a statement.
Their first assignment will be a friendly match against South Africa on November 15 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, before facing Burundi later that month.
Zambia is preparing for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Mali, and Comoros. The Chipolopolo will open their campaign against Mali on December 22 at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca.
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