LUSAKA - The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has appointed former Chipolopolo midfielder Perry Mutapa as the new head coach of the Zambia Under-20 Men's National Team.
Mutapa, who also serves as head coach of MTN Super League side Green Eagles, takes over from Boyd Mulwanda as the association seeks to revitalise the junior national team programme.
According to a statement issued by FAZ, Mutapa's technical bench will include Sipho Mumbi as first assistant coach, Lameck Banda as second assistant coach and Masautso Tembo as strikers' coach.
FAZ noted that Mutapa most recently served as an assistant coach for the Senior Men's National Team that participated in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
FAZ General Secretary Charles Chakatazya said the newly appointed technical team has been tasked with preparing the Under-20 squad for next month's Africa Cup of Nations zonal qualification tournament, which will be held in Mauritius from September 18 to 27, 2026.
"In an effort to regenerate the focus for our Under-20 boys' national team, we have decided to appoint a new bench to align with the assignments coming ahead," Chakatazya said.
He added that the association expects the new technical bench to guide the team to qualification for both the Under-20 AFCON and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Chakatazya acknowledged that Zambia's Under-20 programme has struggled to replicate the success of the 2017 squad, which won the Africa Cup of Nations and reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.
The new coaching team will begin preparations immediately ahead of the regional qualifying tournament.