Patrick Phiri

Patrick Phiri (born 3 May 1956, Zambia ) is a Zambian football coach and former football player.

Playing career

Phiri played in the 1970s as a winger for United and then Rhokana early 1980 with the support of the Zambia Air Force Red Arrows.

In 1978 he was in the squad of the Zambian national team in the African Nations Cup 1978. He came here as a substitute for use.

Coaching career

After end of his career he was sent to Germany, there to complete a coaching education. After completing his training, he returned back to Zambia in 1987 and coached until 1991, his former club Red Arrows. 1995-1996 he was sitting on the bench of the league rivals Power Dynamos.

In 1995 he was hired by the Zambian Association and took over the U20 national team which he led to the U20 African Cup of Nations in 1997, but already failed there in the first round. He was subsequently dismissed, but returned in 1998 back to the dugout the U20, after his predecessor died in office. He managed to lead the team to the Junior World Cup in 1999, making a Zambian team for the first time took part in a World Cup finals. The team won the first game 4-3 and then reached against the eventual champions Spain a 0-0 draw. In the final group game against Brazil, the team went 1-0 after nine minutes through Andrew Sinkala lead, but had defeated with 1:5, in the end the team to the future world stars Ronaldinho and give Mancini. In addition to his involvement in the Zambian Association he coached from 1997 to 1999 his former club Rhokana United - now under the name Nkana Red Devils.

In the same year he was able to celebrate with the U20 winning the COSAFA U20 Cup with a 2-0 final victory over arch-rivals South Africa. He then went briefly to Tanzania and trained there to Simba SC. He was the successor of the Danes Roald Poulsen 2002. Under Phiri, Zambian national team since 1988, missed the first time to participate in the African continental tournament and he was released after a defeat in COSAFA Cup against Botswana.

Phiri coached again the Tanzanian club Simba SC, but had in the current season in a serious car accident, which his hitherto successful commitment put an abrupt end. After his recovery he became technical director at the Nkana Red Devils. As Kalusha Bwalya 2006 his contract not extended as the Zambian national team coach, and the favorite to succeed him, Ben Bamfuchile, accepted the coaching job in Namibia, Phiri was again coach as an interim solution.

With the victories at COSAFA Cup in 2006 and the CECAFA Cup in the same year, Zambia won first time since 1998 international tournament, and at the same time he consolidated his position as national coach. In qualifying for the African Cup of Nations in 2008, it looked for a long time as if Phiri would fail again. Only by a surprising 3-1 win on the final day against South Africa could be the last moment but still qualify. After the team finished only third place in the finals behind Egypt and Cameroon, and thus was eliminated in the first round, Phiri was dismissed and replaced by Hervé Renard.