May 26, 2008
By Kambani Lungu
Watch Clifford Mulenga & Roger Kola’s goals against Iran by clicking the link below
http://www.irangoals.com/2008/05/25/video-iran-zambia/
The appointment of Frenchman Herve Renard as new Chipolopolo coach should be welcomed by all soccer loving Zambians. We all could have loved to have a high profile coach like Jose Mourinho to be at the helm of Chipolopolo but like what FAZ vice president Hon Emmanuel Munaile mentioned the association had to look for a coach within the available resources and we just have to understand our situation and support their (FAZ) decision and move forward.
Financial Muscle
It is a well known fact that we cannot afford a high profile coach simply because we do not have the financial muscle to meet what coaches of such calibre demand.Therefore, the only way we can have quality coaches is by getting them at a time they are yet to make big names and this is what FAZ is trying to do.
Proudly Zambian: Frenchman Herve Renard at Football House after being unveiled last week. Another Frenchman Patrice Beamaulle is expected to be his first assistant. Beamaulle was a Futsal player in France.
I do not know much about Renard,but according to the profile which was released to the public, Renard retired from active football 10 years ago. He has a diploma in football coaching and he is an expert in physical training.
He has been involved in football coaching in France, England, China and Ghana where he was recommend by fellow Frenchman Claude Leroy to be his assistant in charge of physical training.
Valuable Experience from Ghana trio
In my view, Renard’s experience in Ghana where he was around the likes of Essien, Appiah, Muntari and other black stars is a plus to his his CV. The Zambian job is not strange to the Frenchman because he was at the 2008 AFCON and he had a feel of what is expected to coach an African side.
I also do not think a coach of Leroy’s calibre can recommend someone for no special reason. It is common knowledge that high profile coaches do assign their assistants with a lot of ground work and they mostly concentrate in tactics and the technical aspect of the game. Therefore, Leroy must have done his homework to come up with Renard as his assistant and it’s a plus for for Renard to have worked under an experienced coach like Leroy.
Profile-Collection of achievement in one’s career
There has been a lot of debate over Renard’s appointment and others have said that he has no profile to deserve the Chipolopolo coaching job.In my view, one thing we must understand is that when we talk of a profile, it is basically a collection of achievements in one’s career.
Therefore, it is true to say that every coach starts from somewhere to make a high profile. For example Sir Alex Ferguson did not have the profile he has to day when he clinched the Manchester United job in in 1987. Who new about Jose Mourinho before he won the the champions league with FC Porto?.
Roald Poulsen is another nonentity who coached Chipolopolo boys but won a bronze medal at the RSA 1996 AFCON. Talk of high profile coaches what has Bafana Bafana achieved from high profiled Carlos Perrera?.
Two in one: Coach + physical trainer is bonus
Others have questioned Renard’s appointment when he was just a mare physical trainer in Ghana. But my understanding is that in a normal situation, assistant coaches are supposed to be assigned with specific roles as they seat on the technical bench. Others are in charge of goalkeepers, physical fitness etc.
People who have followed African football will agree with me that the strength of west African football lies in their physical fitness. It is therefore a plus for Zambia to have a coach who is also a physical fitness expert because one of the weakness of the Chipolopolo boys is the player’s luck of physical fitness.
In view of this, Renard’s coming to Zambia is welcome and timely. With the talent that we currently have, I expect him to find all the material he requires to make a formidable team and make a CV for himself.
Renard should consider our Scandinavian based players
A strong reservoir of players is key to making a strong National side. Therefore he should not be short sighted but should have a broader picture and asses players that have the potential to make Chipolopolo a giant like it was before. We have the likes of Nchimunya Mweetwa, Stephen Kunda, Chileshe Chibwe, Chanda Mwaba and the Yobe brothers in Finland, Boyd Mwila and Edwin Phiri in Sweden, Justine Zulu and Bitwell Phiri in Isreal.
Mweetwa scored 17 goals in 25 matches for RoPS last season and he has already banged three goals in five appearances this season.
I have very little knowledge about Finish and Sweedish football but I wonder why these guys have stayed in Europe all this time if they really have nothing to offer. I believe one or two from them can add some value to the Chris Katongo captained team. The new coach should also have interest in our local league and spend time with clubs in his free time and assist local coaches where there is need like what former coach Roald Poulsen used to do.
Football Association of Zambia President Kalusha Bwalya and Renard signing the three year deal.
I have the confidence in Great Kalu and his executive. I believe they have studied our problem and they are committed to bring back our lost groly with their approach of “eyes on the ball”.
My advice to fellow soccer fans is that,lets be patient and give chance to Renard to prove himself. Giving support does not only mean trooping to the stadium clad in national colours and singing when Chipolopolo is playing. This is the time to give support so that we build confidence in the new coach and he will coach our side to the best of his ability such that even when we sing Chipolopolo in the terraces, the team will respond and give us more goals and we will be proud again…GO-CHIPOLOPOLO-GO !
22 Comments on "Lets give Renard a chance"
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Lukundo Siwale on Mon, 26th May 2008 2:22 PM
Renard should definitely be given a chance. In the short time that he has worked with the team, he has noticed a lot of frailties, and has promised to address them. An example is how he said that the defence needs to be worked on, and it was evident to see by the penalties we gave away in the Iran match. If you forgot, just look back at the AFCON Cameroon match as well. We give away silly goals. But Renard has noticed this and, just needs the time to really identify some more players of national team calibre. He hasn’t yet had the time to see what he is really working with. I love the fact that we are actually scoring goals now, so lets work on not conceding too many. Renard, keep on doing what you do, and leave no doubt in your critics minds.