The Zambian football fraternity is mourning the passing of ex-Zambia team manager Solly Pandor.

Pandor, 58 died in Lusaka on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack.

He was part of Zambia’s backroom staff for over six years starting with the rebuilding process following the 1993 air crash in Gabon that claimed the lives of the entire Zambia team.

Pandor also served as team manager between 2003 to 2010.

Nakambala Leopards and ex-Zambia coach Patrick Phiri, who worked with Pandor a decade ago, described the latter’s death as a blow to Zambian football.

“It is a shock to hear of his passing. We were with him a week ago in Lusaka on our way for a league game in Mufulira, ” Phiri said who worked with Pandor between 2006 and 2008.

“It is one of the greatest losses of the decade from a soccer human resource point of view. He was an icon and it is almost impossible to replace a man like him.”

Pandor also served during the regimes of Kalusha Bwalya, Herve Renard’s first tenure, the late Ian Porterfield and Roald Poulsen.

He is the second high-profile former member of the Zambia bench to die over the last three months following coach Fight Simukonda’s passing on February 15 after an illness.