Ex-Sundowns midfielder joins Nkana’s coaching bench

Ex-Mamelodi Sundowns and Chipolopolo midfielder Gift Kampamba has been appointed as an assistant coach at Zambian giants Nkana.

This is Kampamba’s second stint as part of his boyhood clubs’ backroom staff after serving as an assistant coach at the Kitwe club from 2012 to 2015.

But Kampamba returned to the record 13-time Zambian champions last season when he helped Nkana’s development club from relegation to the third tier where they currently campaign.

“If you remember last season, we engaged Gift to help us fight relegation with our junior team Young Nkana and we successfully survived,” Nkana Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Mutafu told FARPost.

“Then away from that, there was an issue of reinforcing our senior bench with a third assistant coach and so that is what we did.

“So with his experience, we thought that he would add value to the bench.”

Kampamba was on head coach Beston Chambeshi’s bench on Sunday in Nkana’s opening game of the 2022/23 FAZ Super League season against Kabwe Warriors.

They started off the campaign with a goalless draw at home in Kitwe.

The ex-Sundowns midfielder also worked under Chambeshi at Kansanshi Dynamos in 2021 before the latter returned to save Nkana that same season to save the Kitwe club from relegation.

The 43-year-old ex-Chipolopolo star had a stint in Russia where he turned out for Rostselmash.

He will be hoping to learn from the experienced Chambeshi, who has had several stints with the national team.
Chambeshi has also coached Mochudi Centre Chiefs and BDF XI in Botswana. He won the Botswana Premier League title with Chiefs.

The Kgatleng giants are yet to replicate that form they displayed under Chambeshi and have struggled in recent years, playing in the second tier.

The duo will be hoping to guide Nkana to league title glory this season. They play Buildcon in the second match of their campaign.