05/03/2026
LWANDAMINA RETURNS AS CHIPOLOPOLO INTERIM COACH AMID RENEWED FAITH IN LOCAL EXPERTISE
By David Chibwili
The Football Association of Zambia has turned to familiar ground once again after appointing veteran trainer George Lwandamina as interim head coach of the Zambia national football team.
In a press statement issued on March 5, 2026, FAZ acting Deputy General Secretary Iva Lengwe said the move is aimed at improving efficiency and strengthening the teamās performance following technical bench adjustments.
Lwandamina will be assisted by Oswald Mutapa Jr., who currently coaches Power Dynamos F.C..
The appointment comes in the aftermath of Zambiaās disappointing performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which led FAZ to relieve Wedson Sichone of his duties. Assistant coach Perry Mutapa has also been excused from the technical bench.
Lengwe has further clarified that only the positions of head coach and first assistant have been affected, with the rest of the technical staff remaining unchanged.
DISCOURSE;
While the decision brings a sense of optimism, particularly among advocates of empowering local coaches, it also raises a familiar eyebrow in Zambian football circles.
Lwandamina, after all, is no stranger to the Chipolopolo dugout. He previously handled the national team between 2015 and 2016 before making way for Wedson Nyirenda. His return therefore feels somewhat like reopening a well-thumbed chapter of a book many thought had already reached its conclusion.
One might say Zambian football has mastered the art of recycling experience, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of hope, and occasionally out of what critics might politely call ālimited imagination.ā
Yet, if there is a silver lining in the decision, it lies in the continued recognition of local coaching talent. For years, debates have raged about whether Zambia should trust its own football brains instead of constantly looking abroad for solutions. In that regard, FAZās latest move signals a vote of confidence in homegrown expertise.
Lwandamina, who is currently in charge of Nchanga Rangers F.C., now faces the immediate task of assembling a competitive squad for the Four-Nation Tournament set for March 23ā31, 2026 in Francistown.
With limited time before kickoff, the newly constituted technical bench has been tasked with selecting a balanced squad that includes both locally based and foreign-based players.
Whether this latest chapter will restore the roar of Chipolopolo or simply add another familiar footnote remains to be seen.
For now, the nation watches equal parts hopeful and skeptical, as an old hand returns to steady the ship once more.
Zambia Reports| 5th March, 2026.