Sven Vandenbroeck says Chipolopolo lack solid defenders because the best defensive players in the FAZ/MTN league are foreigners.

And Vandenbroeck said Zambian defenders prefer offensive play, neglecting their defensive duties.

“We have a number of good defenders that I watched in the local super league. If you follow it closely, you will agree with me that the better ones were not Zambians but foreigners. If one does not do their research well, he may be comforted at their sight but disappointed when he’s told that they are foreigners or international players playing in the Zambian super league,” he said.

“Sometimes the defenders kept pushing with worrying eagerness because you are not sure they will restore energy and recover in defense because they had pushed in a little too much. I do not think that that should be the case. You cannot neglect your duty or position because you are too eager to attack,” said Vandenbroeck.

A week ago, the Belgian born held an interactive session with members of the press at Court Yard in Kitwe on the sidelines of the Mopani Copper Mine Under-20 COSAFA Championship where he answered a number of questions.

Topics discussed ranged from his stay with the national team, failure to qualify for 2019 AfCON to what he thought needed to be done to improve the dwindling performance of the Chipolopolo. Blending of local and foreign-based players and defending tactics were also among the topics that were discussed.