Following Zesco United’s advertisement for the vacant head coach position, Cypriot coach Andreas Vrakas has emerged as one of the candidates interviewed for the role by the Ndola-based club, BolaNews sources have confirmed.

The 36-year-old, a former director of the Liverpool Football Academy in Cyprus, is among the coaches understood to have undergone interviews as Zesco United intensifies its search for a new head coach.

The club recently confirmed it would not retain club legend Winston Kalengo, who served in an interim capacity after taking over from Emmanuel Siwale.

Last Tuesday, Zesco United published a vacancy outlining the profile of the coach they want to lead the team into the new season.

Among the key requirements is a minimum CAF A Licence or its equivalent, a qualification that significantly narrows the pool of eligible candidates, with only a handful of local coaches meeting the criteria.

Vrakas, a UEFA A coaching licence holder, has more than 13 years of coaching experience, having spent most of his career in Cyprus, with a brief coaching stint in Greece.

BolaNews understands that his first major coaching opportunity came when he worked alongside former Croatia international and ex-Bayern Munich defender Daniel Pranjić.

In addition to his coaching experience, Vrakas is trained in football analytics and previously served as director of the Liverpool Football Academy in Cyprus.

Zesco United are continuing to assess applications and interview candidates as they seek to appoint a new head coach ahead of the transitional league season, which kicks off in September.

READ ALSO: FIFA considering 64-team World Cup after CONMEBOL proposal