WHY ZAMBIA IS STUCK IN THE AVRAM GRANT SHOW UNTIL 2025
The Long Goodbye No One Asked For and now trying to find ways of letting this man leave!!
Just when we thought we’d be waving a relieved twalumba to Avram Grant, the man pulls the ultimate “but wait, there’s more!” trick on us. Hidden deep in the fine print of his contract was a sneaky little clause — qualify for AFCON, and boom! An automatic extension. And guess what? Shikulu did just that, with all the flair of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat… or more accurately, pulling a contract that keeps him here until 2025.
Now, while most of us were bracing ourselves for the final whistle of Grant’s Zambian adventure, rumors started swirling. Not only did he sign the contract, but word on the street is that his team made a few cheeky edits on the way. What else would they tweak besides the terms of termination? Oh, you know it—the mulah. They say it’s always about the money, and this feels no different.
How long did it take to discover these edits? Who knows! But does Grant care? Not at all! Signed, sealed, and now we’re delivered into another year of head-scratching football under his watch.
So, if you were holding out hope that we’d bid farewell at the end of 2024, tough luck. The man is sticking around until 2025, whether you like it or not. And speaking of liking it, let’s be honest—his early promises of “Zambia has potential” have turned into something else entirely. Potential? More like potential to lose. The man’s enthusiasm has withered faster than our hopes after yet another lackluster performance. He is now capable of staying away from a very important presser and. ow openly threatens his superior of FIFA calls
A Falling Out of Love
If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably noticed Grant’s love affair with Chipolopolo has gone stone cold. His early words of motivation and optimism have been replaced with excuses and finger-pointing. The only success he can hang his hat on? That time at Chelsea — which, let’s face it, was more than a decades ago. Now, he seems content with building something (no one’s quite sure what) while convincing everyone we’re simply not good enough.
He’s even managed to sell some folks on the idea that our players, like Fashion Sakala, are the bad guys in all this. Really? Fashion? The same player that has more drive in his pinky toe than we’ve seen from the sidelines lately?
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room: the man’s agency. Yeah, the same agency that handles certain players also happens to represent our coach. Talk about a conflict of interest! Players started leaving the agency, and instead of alarm bells ringing, we just sat back and watched it all unfold.
A Rollercoaster of Results
But enough about contracts and conspiracies. Let’s talk about the football. Or whatever we’re calling the last 10 games under Grant. It’s been a wild ride—mostly downhill. We had a glimmer of hope with a 4-2 win against Congo, but then came the dreaded losses: 2-1 to Niger, 2-1 to Morocco, 1-0 to Tanzania. Draws with Congo DR and Tanzania, a narrow loss to Morocco… By the time we hit that 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe, followed by a penalty heartbreak, you could practically hear the collective groan across Zambia.
And the worst part? Grant’s got an excuse for every single one. The grass was too green. The wind was blowing the wrong way. The players were villains! Anything but himself.
The Bigger Picture
This “we’re not good enough” narrative? It’s getting old. Instead of taking ownership, he’s been busy convincing everyone that the team isn’t up to scratch. But here’s the thing—shouldn’t that be FAZ’s problem? And by the way, I’m not falling for it. We’ve seen what this team can do when it’s managed right. So why should we settle for a coach who’s more interested in deflecting blame than building a winning side?
Tuesday’s match against Sierra Leone? It’s more like Tuesday’s looming headache. But if you’re like me, you’ve been done with Grant for a while now.
We need a coach who believes in the team, not just in his paycheck. A coach who doesn’t see “good enough” as an impossible dream, but as a reality waiting to be unlocked. And let’s be real—Grant ain’t it.
So, as we prepare for yet another round of Grant-inspired mediocrity, let’s just hope someone at FAZ is paying attention. The Avram Grant era needs to end. Yesterday.
Here’s hoping the next chapter is better, and we get a coach who knows how to turn “potential” into actual results!