Former national team striker Zeddy Saileti has backed Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant, saying the Israeli has “done well” for the time he has been in charge of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Champions.
Some supporters think the former Chelsea boss should not have his contract renewed when the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) meets next month to debate his future.
Since his appointment, Grant has managed six wins, four draws, and five defeats in 15 competitive matches.
The way Chipolopolo was eliminated from the AfCON back in January was not well received by some Zambians.
His team may have struggled in the 2026 World Cup qualifying race where they have only collected three points from a possible 12, but they are on course to qualify for the AfCON as they sit second in the race with seven points.
Saileti, who is currently in charge of Kansanshi Dynamos, a team in National Division One, claimed the Israeli has performed admirably overall.
“It is a bit of an unfair question to ask, but So far so good, he has done well; we give credit to him; we did not expect certain results, but he has done fairly well if you ask me,” Saileti told SportsBoom.com.
Meanwhile, Saileti also tipped Zambia to give a good account against Ivory Coast in the upcoming qualifier at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
“Pressure is on Ivory Coast; they need to prove themselves; they have a star-studded team and they have been there and on paper, they seem like they have qualified automatically, but Zambia needs to apply themselves,” Saileti said.
“I am confident, we can qualify”- Saileti
He said Ivory Coast may be favourites but Zambia thrives when they are underdogs.
“The last game we won in Chad [played in Cameroon], no one expected that we could get a positive result, and I think that result should motivate the team; players should believe in themselves, and I think we can pull through.
“The way the situation was when they were going to face Chad, it was like, ‘impossible’ but we did well. We can qualify; I am very confident,” he said.
