With the season close to the end, Zambianfootball.co.zm looks at the coaches who have stood out this season. Who should be the coach of the season? Have your say?
Tenant Chilumba:
Fired at Power Dynamos, leaving the Kitwe giants in 6th position. Picked up a Napsa Stars side which had only won 2 games and looked favorites for relegation as they were second from bottom.
Once the transfer window had passed, Chilumba re-enforced the team and now they stand in 10th position on 38 points.
Napsa Stars went 8 games unbeaten from the beginning of August to the end of October winning 6 times to get themselves in safe waters.
Mohamed Fathy:
The Egyptian was recently fired by Kabwe Warriors after he differed with the Executive Committee.
While it is usually a struggle for promotion teams to stay up, Fathy helped Warriors hang in mid-table through out the season and they never looked like they would struggle to stay up. He left the club in 6th position.
While ‘Walya Nganga’ struggles against the top half teams, they maximized when it came to lower half teams with their biggest win being the 1 – 0 away win against Green Buffaloes orchestrated by Egyptian.
Numba Mumamba:
With two rounds of games to play, Numbas side look like Champions elect as they are unstoppable this season. Only Power, Nkana and Forest Rangers have managed to overcome Zanaco this season.
He has managed to drill a balanced team that has not conceded at home this season but is free scoring with 14 different players registering their names on the score sheet.
Once they went on top of the log 18 weeks ago, they have held on to that position and look good to do so to the end.
George Lwandamina
He goes in the history books as the first Zambian coach to lead his team to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions league tournament.
Zesco went in the tournament as under-dogs but they were one game short of playing in the finals of the prestigious tournament.
Managed a heavy workload of doubling as national team manager while his team was engaged in Africa, the league and Cup.
He left Zesco to seek greener pastures in Tanzania.
Patrick Phiri
The effect what a coach can offer was seen with ‘Big Pa’ leaving a team in top four and it goes in relegation and picking a team in relegation and it goes mid-table.
Nakambala had gone 12 games unbeaten starting the count from last season. By week 8 with the Mazabuka side having played two games less, they were in a staggering 4th position and had won 3 games and drawn three.
Nakambala are currently in the relegation zone.
He moved to second from bottom (As at week 8) Forest Rangers who had won only once and lost 3 times. Phiri was an instant hit in Ndola as he managed to engineer a famous derby win over Zesco United in his first game. He turned around players like Felix Nyaende who is now in double figures.
Forest are now in 7th position behind Kabwe Warriors on goal difference. He managed to get Nakambala out of the jaws of relegations last season.
Who has been your coach of the season? Vote for your coach of the season in the poll section.
Dan kabwe
I would go 4 the Mufulira blackpool coach who has been consistent at the bottom of the table since the league started. #BravoCoach
Numba Mumamba. From assistant coach to wining a title barely within two seasons.
my first catch is Mumamba . . second Patrick Phiri.
Muhamed Fathy
Hooo God, so this where problems are. coaches.
Where are all those former international professionals like;
Lucky Msiska
Mwape Miti
Andrew Tembo
Andrew Sinkamba
Johnston Bwalya
…
Already 5 teams taken above. FAZ need sale coaches. They can join
Tenant Chilumba
Chianti Kampamba
Zeddy Saileti
All others coaches can join Ba Phiri to help out troubled teams, not to develop international players.
my vote is given to George lwandana former ZESCO coach,he tried reaching semifinals.
Lwandamina”s sabotage of national aspirations of qualifying to Afcon 2017 is unforgivable. No one should entertain any thoughts of nominating him for Coach of the Year.
FOR ME ITS MUMBA MUMAMBA
Dan kabwe should have made the list coz he took over a Power side that was struggling under TC but transformed it to a winning side except moments when he would go out for some refresher courses. He is my Coach of the year.
numba mumamba Is my vote for coach of the season….what a coach