Nationwide search will unearth talent – Janza

 Football Association of Zambia Technical Director, Honor Janza says the nationwide talent search exercise is important because it will help unearth players whose talent was hidden to the senoir national team technical bench.Janza told fazfootball.com that the exercise encompassed a wide range of stakeholders from district to provincial and finally to national levels.

“We involved quite a good number of coaches, who are the main custodians of players in the Super League and all the lower divisions,” said Janza

“Provincial coaches know who their best players are so they selected the best players available.”

“At the end of the exercise we want to create a pool of players to select from for future and immediate assignments. We will cover the whole country in order to unearth hidden talent which our eyes at senior national team level may not have reached.” he said

Janza said the exercise was being conducted now because of lessons from past tournaments.

“This exercise is part of the succession programme for the senior national team. In football, change does not come abruptly. Some of our senior national team players might not be with the team in the next five years so we need to create a base from which to select players,” he said

And coach Herve Renard said he wanted to have 44 players at the end of the whole exercise and singled out Lazarous Phiri of Ndola Youth Academy as talent that could have remained hidden had the exercise not been conducted.

Renard also revealed that 14 players had been provisionally selected from the Copperbelt but declined to name them until the end of the countrywide exercise.

For the exercise in Region One (Copperbelt, North Western, Luapula) the national team technical bench worked with coaches Fighton Simukonda (Nchanga Rangers), Bruce Mwape (Roan United), Enos Silwimba (Konkola Blades) and Fredrick Kashimoto (Kashimoto Youth).

The 44 players were divided into four teams as follows (no substitutions were alowed):

TEAM A

COACH: Fighton Simukonda (Nchanga Rangers)

Francis Kunda (Kalewa), Donashano Malama (Konkola Mine Police), Joseph Bwalya (Mufulira Blackpool), Richard Mfune (Konkola Mine Police), Monga Chilimba (Ndola Lime Hotspurs), Sydney Kalume (Nkana), Cletus Chota (Roan United), Maybin Mwaba (Zesco United), Chanda Mushili (Nkana), Brian Chewe (Konkola Mine Police), Moses Mubeta (Tug Aggan)

TEAM B

COACH: Fredrick Kashimoto (Kashimoto Youth)

Makasa Mufwaya (Nkana), McDuff Chungu (Nchanga Rangers), Lottie Bwalya (Zesco United), Brighton Mutwila (Bresmar), Amos Simwanza (Konkola Blades), Misheck Chaila (Konkola Blades), William Chume (TUG Aggan), Claude Bwalya (Konkola Blades), Festus Mbewe (Nkana), Precious Mubeta (Mufulira Wanderers), Chris Chola (Mining Rangers).

TEAM C

COACH: Bruce Mwape (Roan United)

Brown Nyirenda (Zesco United), Douglas Muwowo (Roan United), Keagan Chondela (Ndola Lime Hotspurs), Given Sinyangwe (Roan United), Charles Shamujompa (Nkana), Jimmy Jibelo (Mining Rangers), Logic Ching’andu (Ndola Lime Hotspurs), Lameck Kafwaya (Ndola Lime Hotspurs), Duncan Sikaonga, Lazarous Phiri (Ndola Youth Academy).

TEAM D

COACH: Enos Silwimba (Konkola Blades)

Evans Mwewa (Roan United), Joseph Chewe (Mufulira Blackpool), Mutoto Chimbala (Kalewa), Bright Mutwila (Bresmar), George Chilufya (Nchanga Rangers), Ronald Tembo (Ronald Ross), Jack Pesala, Tapson, Chileshe Kabwe (Zesco United), Bornwell Mwape (Nchanga Rangers), Pious Mulenga (Amico)

Kabwe, the regional centre for Region Two (Northern and Central Povinces) will be the next stop from 3rd to 4th March.