Chipolopolo coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has heaped praise on goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, describing him as a walking legend of Zambian football.

Micho’s praises come a few days after Mweene was between the sticks for the remaining four fixtures to win his fifth South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) winners’ medal with Mamelodi Sundowns.

“Congratulations to Kennedy Mweene for representing the country in the best possible way in all these years that he has worked in South Africa. He is a walking legend of our football having in mind his heroics when the team won the Africa Cup of Nations,” said Micho.

“He has given so much to our football, we really appreciate and recognize that. In Mamelodi Sundowns he is in a way stand-in to (Ugandan goalkeeper) Dennis Onyango and when Onyango got injured, he came in and showed the maturity, seniority and quality to win the league.”

The Serb said the technical team and goalkeeping coach, Miroslav Stojnic in particular has set out a programme to monitor goalkeepers and invest in the development of local goalkeeping coaches to strengthen the department.

“We are at present assessing whether other goalkeepers have reached the level that could take the country forward having in mind the age of Kennedy Mweene, having in mind that we need an able and ready replacement and all that will be unfair for me to talk because we have brought the specialist, Miroslav Stojnic that will be the one to give us the final judgements in regards to who will be the person to be our last stand before our net to protect us in the matches ahead of that,” he added.

Micho also extended his praises to Chipolopolo players in South Africa, labelling the PSL as a good hunting ground for Zambian players who have gone ahead to make a great impact and represent Zambia as good ambassadors.

“We having a great impact from Gamphani Lungu (Supersport United), Nathan Sinkala (Stellenbosch FC) playing for the team which has done very well, in Polokwane with Salulani Phiri and goalkeeper Cyril Chibwe.

“I am obliged to mention also with Collins Mbesuma and the number of goals scored for his team (University of Pretoria in the National First Division), but I know how that first division of the league functions that it is not the level of PSL but he has contributed to being a good football ambassador of ours.”

The coach also said while there was quality in many foreign based strikers turning up for their respective clubs around the world, the local ensemble of players have also done well in finding their goal scoring boots that will help the team.

“We are having video material (of foreign based players). We see them in the matches and training where we get all the feedback and we are happy with many of them. However, some of them need to pull up their socks and (up their) sleeves and work harder in order to raise our attention to make the call-ups,” said the Serb.

“Chipolopolo will stop to be a tourist destination where we are sending tickets to the players (and) they come here to visit their families. We shall limit the number of (air) tickets sent to the players to only those that will be coming to serve the nation in the best possible way. For example, instead of calling 25 players playing abroad and end up using 11 to 14 players in the match, we shall look at the economic aspect and bring players that are supposed to play and this is the exactly the criteria that we shall use in times ahead of us.”