Fighton joins Chipolopolo bench

THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has ‘imposed’ Fighton Simukonda on Honour Janza as his assistant coach for the 2015 COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup slated for South Africa next month.
Impeccable sources at Football House told the Times yesterday that Janza had submitted a list of coaches to assist him drill the Chipolopolo for the regional tournament but that FAZ opted for Simukonda, who was not even on the list.
Simukonda is Zambia Under-23 soccer team coach but it is believed that Janza had proposed the names of George Lwandamina and Patrick Phiri based on their achievements in the game.
“What has Simukonda done? Janza wanted the likes of ‘Chicken’ (Lwandamina) or Patrick Phiri to help him because these two coaches have achieved something in Zambian football. But it is like FAZ wanted their own man and settled for Simukonda,” the source said.
The source added that the move has incensed Janza because he was not consulted on the move.
This episode comes barely weeks after Janza expressed sadness with FAZ decision to discuss his contract issue at the annual general meeting in Kabwe where Kalusha Bwalya said the association wanted a foreign coach to be in-charge of the Chipolopolo.
FAZ, however, ‘resolved’ matters and appointed Janza to be in charge of the COSAFA squad. Efforts to get Janza failed as his mobile phone repeatedly went unanswered.
Meanwhile, FAZ has called on Zambians to exercise patience as Football House tries to find remedial measures to the recent underperformance of various national teams.
FAZ communications manager Nkweto Tembwe said when he featured on Sun FM radio station in Ndola yesterday that Zambian football was undergoing regeneration and that people should not expect results on a short term basis.
“We are going through a bad patch and we have to be very careful before we become prophets of what is coming. Is there need to invest in youth football, the answer is yes and we are doing something about.
Investment just like in financial issues, you cannot invest today and you reap rewards immediately, it takes time but the good thing is that we have started. We may have negative results but to say they will be pouring like rain… I don’t think so,” Tembwe said.- SANDRA MWILA and MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –