Football family bids farewell to Daniel Jere 

The Zambian football community gathered in solemn unity on Thursday afternoon to bid farewell to former U20 national team manager and Green Buffaloes Football Club committee member Daniel Jere, who passed away on 11 May 2025 at the age of 52.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Army Chapel in Lusaka for the funeral service, where the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) was represented by Deputy General Secretary John Msimuko, who was accompanied by secretariat staff.

The ceremony also drew the presence of the Zambia Army teams, club administrators, coaches, players and supporters from across the country.

In his tribute, Msimuko described Jere as a dedicated servant of the game whose legacy remains indelibly etched in the annals of Zambian football.

“On behalf of the Football Association of Zambia, the FAZ President Mr. Keith Mweemba, the entire executive committee and secretariat staff, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, to Green Buffaloes Football Club and to every life that Mr. Jere touched through his work, both on and off the pitch,” Msimuko said.

“Mr. Jere was more than a team manager. He was a servant of the game, a father figure to young footballers, and a pillar in our football community.”

Jere was with the football family as recently at the elective Annual General Meeting held in Kabwe last Friday where he continued to serve football until his final days.

“His sudden passing has left us shaken, but his legacy is engraved in the heart of Zambian football history,” Msimuko added.

Jere served as team manager for the U17 and U20 national teams and was a key figure during Zambia’s historic 2017 U20 AFCON victory on home soil. 

He is survived by his wife Calistus and four children. Jere will be put to rest at Mutumbi Cemetery and Remembrance Park.

By FAZ Media