As speculation grows that the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has parted ways with Chipolopolo head coach Moses Sichone following a disastrous 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, a powerful intervention from Mufulira Wanderers head coach Lameck Banda has reframed the national conversation.
Zambia finished bottom of their AFCON group after a 1–1 draw with Mali, a 0–0 stalemate against Comoros, and a heavy 3–0 defeat to hosts Morocco. The results have once again pushed FAZ towards a familiar crossroads: whether to appoint another expatriate coach or entrust the national team to local hands.
Banda, in a strongly worded and widely shared write-up, argues that the time has come for Zambia to look inward—not out of sentiment, but out of strategic clarity.
“For decades, Zambia has relied heavily on expatriate coaches,” Banda writes. “Some delivered results and left a positive legacy; others came, consumed resources, and departed having added little value—sometimes leaving confusion rather than progress.”
At the heart of his argument is a simple question: what does Zambia truly want from Chipolopolo?
“Our collective ambition is simple and non-negotiable,” Banda states. “A national team that plays with pride, honour, and dignity—a team that reflects the spirit of the Zambian people and restores joy to the terraces.”
While acknowledging that such a vision can be achieved by either a foreign or local coach, Banda insists that “when all factors are weighed objectively, the local option makes stronger strategic sense.”
He is particularly dismissive of the notion that Zambia lacks football intelligence.
“Zambia is not short of football knowledge,” he writes. “We have senior local coaches who have played the game, coached at high levels, and mentored generations of players and coaches. These individuals are not learners; they are institutions in their own right.”
Banda questions the sustainability of repeatedly importing solutions while overlooking this experience.
“Ignoring this depth of experience while repeatedly importing solutions from outside is neither sustainable nor respectful of our own football system(s),” he argues.
The financial implications of foreign appointments also feature prominently in his critique.
“We have already spent substantial sums on coaches who delivered little,” Banda notes. “Doubling down on the same approach—paying premium salaries without guaranteed value—is not prudent management.”
For Banda, the issue is not whether local coaches can fail—but whether they are ever allowed the conditions to succeed.
“Local coaches, like all professionals, may fail at times. Failure is part of growth,” he writes. “What they need—and deserve—is support, structure, and patience. These are the same courtesies routinely extended to expatriates.”
He also challenges the popular belief that success requires a high-profile foreign name.
“A common argument is that success requires a ‘big name’ coach with a big salary. That assumption is flawed,” Banda insists. “What Zambia needs is not celebrity, but competence. Not hype, but professionalism.”
In one of the more candid sections of his write-up, Banda acknowledges weaknesses within the local coaching fraternity, particularly around ethics and discipline.
“From close observation, many Zambian coaches are tactically capable,” he admits. “Where challenges sometimes arise is in ethical discipline, which can affect decision-making and squad management.”
However, he is emphatic that this should not disqualify local coaches from consideration.
“This is not a reason to abandon local coaches—it is a reason to be deliberate in selection,” Banda explains. “We must identify those who are principled, firm, and uncompromising.”
Banda believes such leadership is essential for maximising Zambia’s player pool.
“Zambia has gifted players,” he writes. “What they need is a coach who understands them culturally, believes in them instinctively, and is committed to shaping, polishing, and trusting local talent.”
That connection, he argues, cannot be imported.
“That connection cannot be manufactured—it already exists within our borders.”
Importantly, Banda is careful to clarify that his argument is not an attack on foreign coaches.
“This is not an attack on expatriate coaches,” he says. “It is a call for self-belief and strategic maturity.”
He closes with a statement that has since been widely quoted across Zambian football circles:
“Developing and empowering local human resources is not sentimentality; it is sound policy. Importing expensive solutions that drain resources while delivering little is not ambition—it is avoidance.”
And finally, a challenge to decision-makers at Football House:
“The talent is here.
The knowledge is here.
The responsibility is ours.
What remains is the courage to trust ourselves.”
As FAZ prepares for its next decision in the wake of AFCON disappointment, Banda’s words have ensured that the debate over a local coach is no longer just emotional—it is strategic, financial, and unavoidable.
Either the appointing Officers do not know what they are doing by appointing incompetent local coaches or there are simply not there. Who has FAZ not tried? Something is terribly wrong. Even local soccer is chipantepante, why? certification? The Head coach of ZESCO could not even sit on the technical bench because of lack of required coaching certificates, and someone is advocating their appointment!!