Ex-Chipolopolo striker Dennis Lota says he is treating his coaching role at South African club Moroka Swallows where he is an assistant coach as a springboard in his career.
Lota, who played at Swallows between 2004 and 2006, said he wants to utilise his stay at the Johannesburg outfit to establish himself as a good coach.
He was appointed as one of the assistant coaches at Swallows in March 2011.
Lota spoke to LT recently while on holiday in Kitwe.
LT: You are welcome to this interview!
Lota: Thanks! It’s good to be home.
LT: How are you finding coaching at Swallows?
Lota: So far so good. I tested success just two months after my appointment we won the MTN 8 tournament. So you can never ask for more.
LT: Obviously you are enjoying coaching?
Lota: You know, in anything you are doing in life you have to enjoy otherwise you have to ship out. If you can’t withstand the heat in the kitchen you have to go and sit in the sitting room or bedroom.
LT: What has been the difference between your playing days at Swallows and now as a coach?
Lota: I played there (Swallows) but coaching is totally different from playing. The transition from being a player to coaching is a challenge, how quick you make that transition determines whether you are going to be a successful coach or not.
LT: Let’s talk about your coaching career prospects.
Lota: Everybody is ambitious when they go into something but I don’t want to rush and think about things in the next five years. For me the basic thing now is first to establish my self, once I am established then I can start making plans of how far I want to go. I need to set the base first before I can start talking about the top so for now I am concentrating on the foundation because I need a strong foundation on which I can build on.
LT: What do you think is the major difference between the Zambian league and the South African Premier Soccer League?
Lota: The South African game is quicker than the Zambian game. Obviously the facilities in South Africa are magnificent. Here we have bumpy grounds and you know that it is very difficulty to play a quick passing game in a bumpy ground. But when it comes to the mental part of it the Zambian player is mentally stronger than a South African player and also regarding tactical awareness Zambians are good.
LT: The idea of Zambian players trekking to South Africa has remained debatable locally. What’s your take on this matter?
Lota: I also had a problem where some people didn’t want me to go to South Africa but eventually I ended up there. God has fashioned everyone’s way, so like Bob Marley said:” You can’t stop the time.” If your channel is to go through South Africa don’t jump into the ocean when you can’t even swim a river.
LT: Do you have any plans to come back?
Lota: What do you mean coming back because I am already home?
LT: Coming back maybe to coach a local team.
Lota: That will depend on time and opportunity. Maybe if there is an opportunity I have to consider that, if it is worthy coming back for because, I can’t just come back when there is nothing absolutely for me here.
LT: Let’s now talk about the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, how do you rate Zambia’s chances of defending the Nations Cup title in South Africa.
Lota: Obviously the situation in the coming year is going to be totally different from what we experienced in Gabon. When the tournament started in Gabon, there was a general feeling and everybody felt that it is Zambia’s time but I don’t think we have. If we are going into the Nations Cup thinking we are champions it is going to be easy, it is not going to be easy. It will depend on preparations.
LT: Which team do you think can win the Africa Cup?
Lota: Of late the tournaments have been full of surprises so you may find that even this one there will be a dark house. I can’t really say Ivory Coast because they always disappoint, I can only say good luck to the participants and may the best team win the tournament.
LT: And your final remarks.
Lota: To my fans I am very grateful for the support they have given me, I never thought people still recognize what I did for the country and I wish the recognition from the fans came from the people I served which is the association (Faz).
Dont even consider coming back home to coach, clubs and coaches here are petty and jelous but in a civilised country like S.A you can excell.
Zambian league is full of bathing mufi Dashi in the night and inkuni when on the pitch just to score goals.
Im reliably informed that kashimoto when he was playing Kafilonda United used to smell like bad feaces in the penalt box to the opponents and when they run away he scores.
Thats what we call Zed football.
Ha!ha!ha! Big boss, surely you are not serious about the Kashimoto story. Very funny.
Lol
Bigboss mwandepula imbafu!
By the way it should be Kafironda if I am not mistaken. But your reliably informed remark about Kashimoto is a cracker! Thanks for sharing
You have made my day or should i say my nite since am reading your comments at nite. Indeed zed football pa-mafi!
Ba Lota balipwa. Kwamene uko ku South.
The man was a top player in the Zambian national soccer team, he was a top player in the South African league and he was one of the top scorers, and now he has a coaching job at one of the top clubs in South Africa. And you classify him as a “finished” player. This is a misplaced view.
ba lota nkonke mpembeleniko ndekonka.lota you are man and half,you played for zambia very well,i remember in 1996 afcon against bukinafaso,ghana etc,you where good and if any oppotunity just com.
Your composure during the Afcon finals was something to celebrate about when that Ivorian predicated 4. 0 you simply told him that you were still on the side of your team. If you will be on that panel At least don’t get an oversized jacket. You seem to have grown in the area of wisdom also that’s great. Kalebalika.
good to know that ba Lota has continued to contribute to the game of soccer. I wish him well and success at Swallows. I enjoyed his days of soccer during his pick time those days…
peak…..boss
Well Done Dennis you make us proud! Zambia Balange kuteya Bola
Big Boss, Mwansekesha. Give us more data, bushe nanomba balanunka pupu.
Must admit I know little about Lota’z playing career apart from that infamous transfer issue that kept him clubless for a long period. However, nice to see that he iz keen doing what he knowz best and can only encourage and wish him every success.
I wish the interviewer could have done a little research before the interview instead of asking baby questions. His questions should have been fashioned around real issues like the recent dismissal of the head coach at the Swallows how this affects Lota. The fact that Swallows went from almost winning the league last season to fighting relegation just the very next season. Questions around whether he has any influence or has attempted to influence the club to sign any Zambian players. If the club is sponsoring or commiting to help him get coaching badges/qualifications from FIFA etc. This interview would be no different had a grade seven been the interviewer.