Coach Wedson Nyirenda Blasts Strikers for Lack of Finishing

ZANACO Coach Wedson Nyirenda Blasts Strikers for Lack of Finishing

ZANACO FC head coach Wedson Nyirenda didn’t mince words as he expressed his frustration with his team’s strikers, labeling them “cowards” for their lack of courage and finishing ability. The criticism came after ZANACO’s 1-1 draw against Forest Rangers, extending their winless streak to six games.

Nyirenda specifically targeted the forwards for their inability to convert chances, stating, “The strikers are cowards. They don’t want to take chances. How can you expect to score goals when you don’t even put yourself in good scoring positions?” The coach highlighted the absence of initiative and killer instinct among the strikers, emphasizing the importance of making runs and creating goal-scoring opportunities.

He pointed out a foreign teammate, Freddy Michael Kouablan from Ivory Coast, as an example of someone who has seized goal-scoring opportunities. Nyirenda praised Kouablan’s decisiveness, contrasting it with the shortcomings of the Zambian attackers. He stressed the need for a change in mentality and called out the low goal-scoring rates in Zambian football.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of Zambian football, Nyirenda proposed raising the bar for the top scorer award, suggesting that a player should score 25 goals or more to be considered. He reminisced about his own achievements, stating, “Let’s say you need 25 goals or above to even be considered for top scorer. I remember scoring 28 goals in one season in 1990, and I want number eight!”