Kamuzu Barracks release Phambala
Kamuzu Barracks (KB) have finally cleared the mist surrounding coach Billy Phambala, saying he will not return to the club.
KB have been elusive on Phambala’s position since the remarks he made after the 2-0 Standard Bank Knockout Cup loss to Mighty Wanderers a month ago, that some officials tampered with the initial line-up he made, which he claimed contributed to the loss.
This did not go down well with top KB brass who summoned him for ‘clarification’ and later gave contradicting statements. One said the coach had been assigned other duties while another said he had been given time off to sort out personal problems.
However, KB team manager Francis Shawa yesterday said Phambala, who guided the team to Carlsberg Cup glory as well as first-round Super League top position finish, is no longer part of the coaching panel’s set-up.
“In the first place, Billy [Phambala] was not our coach. Our coach was Kenwood Nkhoma, but he was assigned to other duties and in turn, we engaged Billy as an interim measure. In the meantime, we have hired Charles Kamanga to take charge of the team while awaiting the return of Nkhoma,” said Shawa.
He dismissed talk that the removal of Phambala has affected the team’s performance, arguing that in most cases they have been let down by poor officiation and called on Sulom and FAM to act on what he described as “pathetic refereeing.”.
Interestingly, Phambala recently also gave contradicting statements on his position. At first he told The Nation that he was back in training, but later claimed to have been “assigned other duties”.
