Zambian club Zanaco has hired Chipolopolo’s 1994 AFCON tormentor Emmanuel Amunike as technical advisor.
Zanaco on Friday officially confirmed ex-Nigeria Super Eagles star Amunike’s arrival at the Lusaka club.
“The board and management of Zanaco Football club are delighted to announce the recruitment of Mr Emmanuel Amunike and his assistant Emeka Amadi as consultants to the coaching bench,” Zanaco said in a statement.
BUT ZANACO DID NOT GIVE DURATION OF AMUNIKE’s CONTRACT
Amunike is very a familiar figure to Zambian football after breaking the nations’ hearts at the 1994 AFCON final in Tunisia that Nigeria won 2-1.
He scored in each half of that final to cancel Zambia’s early lead after defender Elijah Litana headed in the opener in the 3rd minute.
Amunike now switches from foe to friend as he embarks on charting the path to Zanaco’s first league title since 2016.
Zanaco is Zambia’s third most successful club with seven championship wins.
Mufulira Wanderers and Zesco United are tied on 9 wins while Nkana is the record champion with 13 titles.
Amunike is also the third AFCON-winning player to take up a senior coaching appointment in the Zambian league after 2012 stars Kampamba Chintu and Isaac Chansa.
Chintu has coached Kabwe Warriors, Power Dynamos and Napsa Stars while Chansa had a brief stint at City of Lusaka.
Amunike also returns to the region three years after leading Tanzania to their first AFCON appearance in over 39 years.
Meanwhile, Amunike takes over from his namesake and ex-Zambia midfielder Emmanuel Munaile who suddenly left his post in September barely three months into the job as Zanaco technical director.
Amunike will work closely with Zanaco head coach Kelvin Kaindu.
Kaindu is entering his second season at the helm of his boyhood club where he won four league titles as a player.
Zanaco is currently 9th on the log with 6 points, four points behind leaders Nchanga Rangers after four rounds of matches played into the 2022/2023 season.
