Jericho Shinde was on Saturday fired as Nkana head coach and on the same day long-serving chairman Chris Mpundu stepped down as club head. Shinde has been replaced by another former Nkana great Kenneth Malitoli who has been his assistant since August last year. Malitoli has been offered a six-month deal.Mpundu meanwhile voluntarily stepped down after four years at the helm. Half of Mpundu’s reign has been during Nkana’s current dark days in the lower leagues where the record 11-time league champions have been campaigning since being relegated for the first time in their history at the end of the 2004 season.

“Chris Mpundu is stepping down because he wants to concentrate on his business-in short he has citing pressure of work saying he has been in the post for too long,” Club secretary Ken Mwansa said today in Kitwe. “Shinde has been relieved of his duties because we cannot afford to have two coaches and he did very well for us last season to see Nkana come third.” Mwansa added that Malitoli, who rejoined his childhood club as Shindes’ number 2 last August, will take sole charge of coaching duties during his half-a-year tenure. Shinde departs after joining Nkana in August 2005 after he was sacked as coach at Afrisports FC.

Nkana missed out of promotion back to the top-flight last season after finishing 3rd on 54 points behind promoted clubs Zamtel FC and Roan United who were 2nd and 1st on 57 and 64 points respectively.

The Kitwe club this coming season enter their successive year campaigning in Faz division 1 north after their suffering their first ever demotion in 2004. And in other league news, Nchanga Rangers have settled on Dick Ngwenya as their new head coach to replace Richard Kasune who was fired towards the close of last season. Ngwenya, who was appointed today, was chosen ahead of two other candidates namely ex-Mufulira Wanderers coach and player Alex Musungu and Nkwazi’s Oswald Mutapa Jr.

Ngwenya has been handed a performance related 1-year contract and takes charge at the 1998 league champions with immediate effect. He will be assisted in his duties on the bench by ex-Roan United and Zambia international John Lungu and Israel Mwanza. Ngwenya was Zesco United head coach until last July and has also had stints at Kabwe warriors and INDENI.

courtesy of Kalumiana Kalumiana

The 2007 football season will kickoff during the weekend of March 3-4. All week 1 games in the top-flight will be played on the 3rd while lower division matches will take place 24 hours later but no fixtures have been released yet by FAZ.

Meanwhile the season opening 2007 Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu Charity Shield will be played on February 26 at a venue to be announced by Faz. Faz did not say what format this year’s Charity Shield will take after last years competition saw the league champions, Mosi, BP and Coca Cola Cup winners paired in a semifinal playoff.

2006 League winners Zanaco are the Shields’ defending champions including the BP Top 8. Zesco United and Kabwe Warriors are the Mosi and Coca Cola Cup holders respectively.

Courtesy of Kalumiana Kalumiana

Zambia has stepped up its preparation for this month’s African Youth Championship in Congo Brazaville by opening a 12-day camp in South Africa.Zambia which last graced the continental showpiece in Ghana in 1999 will begin its chase for the U-20 honours in a tough Group B pairing against Nigeria in Pointe Noire on January 21.