Following Webby ‘Mukishi Joe’ Chikabala inspired Zambia’s third place finish at the Algeria 1990 African Cup of Nations, attention shifted to the Senegal 1992 edition.
While Zambia missed a host of super stars like Kalusha Bwalya, Ashious Melu, Stone Nyirenda and Charles Musonda, that seemed like not case for the 1992 edition.
With player availability not a big issue, fans had reservations about the technical bench.
Along the streets of the line of rail, there was a general consensus that the national team was infuriated with Mufulira Wanderers players owing to composition of technical bench.
In Algeria in 1990, Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu had former Zambia captains Dick Chama and Dickson Makwaza as his assistants.
The trio were once Mufulira Wanderers players at some point in the 1960s and 70s, and it was against that background that there was an outcry to have another bleed of assistants.
With the coming of multiparty democracy in Zambia, FAZ obliged, and there were changes to the technical bench.
How Power 90 impacted the change on the technical bench
It was a simple task for FAZ after what was happening at Kitwe’s Arthur Davies Stadium following 24 months of scintillating.
In 1990, Power Dynamos won a domestic cup treble – Independence Cup (Mosi Cup), Bp Top 8 and Champions of Champions.
And they came second in the league to arch-rivals Nkana.
With such success, the team from Ndeke township became to be known as Power 90.
Twelve months later, with the addition of Scottish coach Jimmy Bone to the coaching bench, Power 90 achieved another treble.
Power Dynamos swept aside 1991 league title, the Cup Winners Cup (Nelson Mandela Cup, now CAF Confederations Cup) and Champions of Champions to enter the history books.
Fred Mwila and Ackim Musenga replaces Makwaza, Chama
With this background, Power Dynamos coach Fred Mwila Snr and Ackim Musenge [he was also an ex-Mufulira Wanderers player] were roped in to be ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu’s assistants
With the technical bench sorted, Zambia was ready do fly the eagle high in Senegal.
Testing 1,2
CAN Finals 1990 in Algeria was probably the best chance for local ambian coach to have won Africa Cup. Just imagine the effect of captain Ashios Melu Kalusha Bwalya, Charles Musonda’ and Stone Nyirenda missing at Africa Tournament !! Ultimate Sports Focus believe that those most prized stars were part of the team Samuel Zoom Ndhlovu would have been first to win Africa Cup