. Phiri
By NDINAWE SIMPELWE –
VETERAN coach Patrick Phiri has revealed that he accepted to take up the Lusaka Dynamos job in order to honour Hanif Adams.
Phiri, in a surprise move, last week ditched premier side Forest Rangers to join relegated Lusaka Dynamos ahead of the 2017 season.
But the veteran coach revealed that Dynamos is a club he holds dear to his heart and he felt duty-bound to coach it regardless of its status and position and that he was merely returning home.
He added that honouring Lusaka Dynamos club proprietor Hanif Adams was the least he could do for the administrator who has single handedly sponsored the club for many years through a lot of challenges.
“One thing you should know is Lusaka Dynamos has raised the bar very high this year. With the help that Adams will be receiving in terms of sponsorship, the club will achieve a lot this year. I agreed to join them because of the respect I have for Adams.
“I want to reward him for the sacrifices he has made towards football. He and other officials who started the club such as the late Solly Pandor need to be honoured. We need to have such dedicated people in the country,” said Phiri.
Dynamos were relegated at the end of last season but may bounce back to the premier Division should councillors at the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) pass a proposal to increase the number of teams in top division.
Asked if he would agree to go down with the team to division one despite his rich CV, Phiri said he had no problem with it as he knew the team would only spend a year in the lower ranks before winning promotion.
“We are assembling a good team. With the kind of sponsorship the team will be receiving, we can challenge for honours. I would have no option but to go down with the team if they go to division one. But I know we can bounce back immediately,” he said.
Phiri further thanked Forest Rangers for giving him the chance to help them fight relegation adding that he was happy that he achieved the objective he was tasked with.
“Forest is a good club, very good environment to work in. I enjoyed my stay there and I’m glad I contributed to their survival,” Phiri said.
