FAZ CONSIDERING TO HIRE KENNEDY MWEENE AS GOALKEEPER COACH FOR NEXT YEAR’S AFCON TOURNAMENT
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is considering hiring Kennedy Mweene as goalkeeper coach for next year’s AFCON tournament, according to information from Soccer Laduma.
Mweene, the AFCON winning goalkeeper with Zambia in 2012, is currently working as a goalkeeper coach for Mamelodi Sundowns following his retirement from playing football.
Following Zambia’s qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on three previous occasions, it is believed that the country’s FA are considering asking Mweene to join their coaching staff as one of the coaches.
“FAZ is already working with his club in South Africa (Mamelodi Sundowns) to see on how they can have him just for the tournament in Ivory Coast,” said a source.
Mweene, who had an excellent career as a goalkeeper for club and country, is also considered to be able to play an important role in motivating the team during their AFCON tournament, having been there himself and winning it during his playing days.
“You know he is a natural motivator and having been there and winning the Afcon in 2012 is good for the team right now because he will be talking from experience. There could be a few players who may be in Ivory Coast from that squad that won AFCON in Gabon but his presence will mean a lot to the young players who have always looked up to him as their role model,” said another source.
The possibility of Mweene joining the Chipolopolo coaching staff for the tournament is higher considering the African domestic leagues will go on break during the January-February AFCON tournament period.
Efforts to get a comment from the Football Association of Zambia proved futile by the time the article was published.