Veteran trainer George Lwandamina appointed interim coach of Zambia

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has appointed veteran trainer George Lwandamina as the new interim head coach of the Chipolopolo, following a reshuffle of the technical bench.

Lwandamina will take charge of the 2012 AFCON champions on an interim basis and will be assisted by Oswald Mutapa Jr., who currently serves as head coach of Power Dynamos.

The duo is expected to guide the team through its upcoming international assignments while FAZ assesses the long-term direction of the national side.

The appointment follows the football federations decision to part ways with former Chipolopolo coach Wedson Sichone in the aftermath of the team’s campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco. The football governing body deemed the technical adjustments necessary as part of efforts to rebuild and reposition the team for future competitions.

For Lwandamina, the appointment marks a return to familiar territory. The experienced tactician previously managed the Zambian national team between 2015 and 2016 before making way for Wedson Nyirenda. He currently serves as head coach of Nchanga Rangers in the Zambian domestic league.

As part of the restructuring, the domestic football governing body has also relieved Perry Mutapa of his duties as assistant coach after he was part of the technical team during the AFCON campaign.

Lengwe clarified that the changes affect only the two top positions within the technical structure.

“Only the positions of head coach and first assistant have been affected by these changes. The rest of the technical bench remains unchanged and will continue carrying out their respective responsibilities,” Lengwe stated.

He added that the adjustments take immediate effect as the association looks to quickly stabilise the team ahead of its next international engagement.

Lwandamina’s first major assignment will be leading Chipolopolo at the upcoming Four-Nation Tournament scheduled to take place in Francistown, Botswana, from March 23 to 31, 2026.

With limited preparation time before the competition begins, the newly constituted technical bench has been tasked with assembling a competitive squad made up of both locally based and foreign-based players capable of representing Zambia strongly at the tournament.

The competition will serve as an early test for Lwandamina and his staff as they attempt to restore confidence and build momentum for Chipolopolo moving forward.