Dan Kabwe, who is Arsene Wenger’s protégé, has applied for Zambia coaching job.
Kabwe confirmed to FARPost that he had applied for the vacant job following Croat Aljosa Asanovic’s recent resignation.
“I am eligible to apply and have pushed in my papers. It is open to both locals and foreigners. We have to compete,” he tells FARPost.
ARSENE WENGER’S INFLUENCE
Kabwe said he underwent his apprenticeship under Wenger at Arsenal from 1998 to 2000.
“There is no doubt that Wenger had so much influence on my coaching career, and I owe the back-to-back league titles I won in 2002 and 2003 back home with my childhood club, Zanaco, to what I learnt at Arsenal under Wenger,” the 62-year-old said.
The Zambian got his dream visit to North London courtesy of a director of Mhlume FC, a team he coached in Eswatini between 1994 and 2000.
The director facilitated Kabwe’s study visit to Arsenal using his connections as a shareholder at the Gunners. Kabwe was then studying for his Uefa B Licence.
ACRIMONIOUS EXIT FROM SILVER STRIKERS
The former Zanaco mentor’s last job was with Silver Strikers in Malawi in August 2022.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored team sacked Kabwe two months after suspending him following a 3-1 loss to defending league champions Nyasa Big Bullets.
Kabwe started his reign at Silver last season, promisingly when he won the FDH Bank Cup. He also finished second in the league and was Airtel Top 8 in the 2020/21 campaign.
However, management made it clear they had hired him—the first ever foreign coach they had engaged—to win the league.
Kabwe now hopes to use his experience to transform Zambia’s senior team. Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) advertised the post through General Secretary Adrian Kashala last week.
FAZ wants to hire a coach on a two-year contract to “lead the programme and preparations of the teams for the 2024 Africa Cup qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup.”
Kashala said they are looking for a coach with extensive international football knowledge and experience at senior and national team levels (Africa and Europe).
He says the ideal candidate must “have a very good understanding of Zambia national team playing philosophy and playing principles…”
The ideal candidate must possess a Pro-Licence and have at least 10 years of coaching experience at the senior team level.
