Former Chipolopolo Coach Advocates for Youth Inclusion in National Team 

Former Chipolopolo coach Wedson Nyirenda has emphasized the importance of integrating young talent into Zambia’s national soccer team. Speaking after a provincial match at Nkoloma Stadium, Nyirenda highlighted the potential of 17 and 20-year-old players in strengthening the team for major tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

“We have the talent, but there’s a need for us to put everything into place and process the talent well,” Nyirenda said. He criticized the current approach of focusing solely on the final product and neglecting the developmental process. “We need to change the way we look at things.”

Nyirenda pointed out that young players are pivotal in influencing the performance of their teams. “Football has changed. If you look at the 2024 AFCON, young players like Gingla, Tapelwa, Diakhite, and Lamine of Senegal were the ones holding the whole nation,” he noted. 

“Similarly, in Euro 2024, we’ve seen Yamal, Williams, and Bellingham making significant impacts. We need to shift our mindset and recognize that 17 is the golden age for participation.”

The former coach called for a policy mandating the inclusion of at least one player under 17 and one under 20 in the senior national team for every AFCON. He praised the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) for their recent provincial open trials, stating, “This process will bear the desired results in due course.”

Nyirenda’s Midlands select team triumphed over the Lusaka zone Provincial All-Stars 4-0 at Nkoloma Stadium, with goals from John Kosamu (brace), Martin Njobvu, and Golden Mashata. In another match, the Copperbelt All-Stars, coached by Beston Chambeshi, defeated the Rest Contingent 2-0, thanks to goals from Alex Ng’onga and Robert Simutenda.

FAZ Technical Director Lyson Zulu is expected to unveil the selected players from the national soccer team open trials exercise. Eastern Province players Isaac Mtonga, known as ‘Chezzy,’ and Daliso Zulu were notable participants in these trials, showcasing their skills in the recent matches.

Nyirenda concluded by stressing the importance of building a robust pool of players. “We should not expect the boys we are picking now to play in Ivory Coast immediately. We need to think about how to keep them and grow our pool of players. This will increase competition and improve performance,” he said.