Patrick Phiri

Patrick Phiri (born 3 May 1956) is a Zambian football coach and former footballer. He featured for Zambian clubs Rokana United (now Nkana F.C.) and Red Arrows as a striker and represented Zambia at the 1978 and 1982 African Cup of Nations tournaments. As a coach, Phiri led the Zambia U-20 national team to its first ever appearance at the World Youth Cup in Nigeria in 1997 and was voted Zambian Coach of the year in 1999. He was also in charge of Zambia at the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana and is currently managing Green Buffaloes Football Club (GBFC) in the Zambian Premier League.

Early life

Phiri was born in Luanshya's Mpatamatu township where his father Ackson Phiri was a miner. He was the fifth born in a family of three boys and four girls and went to Mpatamatu and Mwaiseni Primary Schools and later attended Mpatamatu Secondary. Not only was he a keen student but he excelled on the football pitch as well.

Playing career

While still at primary school and barely into his teens, Phiri began following his two elder brothers to training sessions at Luanshya amateur side Buseko FC. At times, he would be asked to join in the sessions to make up the numbers. He was too young to play for the team in actual matches but the exposure at an early age made him superior when he faced his age-mates. Phiri began featuring for Buseko in 1973 and stayed with the team for two seasons until he was lured to Division I side Rokana United in 1974 by Zambian international star Bernard 'Bomber' Chanda, who also started his career at Buseko and at the time was courting Phiri's immediate elder sister Louisa whom he ended up marrying.