Ex-Chipolopolo coach Patrick Phiri hopes his former assistant Beston Chambeshi will follow in his footsteps in winning both the senior and junior COSAFA Cup tournaments.

Phiri remains the only Zambian coach to have won both the COSAFA Cup in 2006 plus three Under-20 titles in the 1990s.

He was also the first coach to guide Zambia to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 1999 where they made a group stage exit in Nigeria. Chambeshi followed that path when his team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.

Chambeshi, who was Phiri’s deputy at Zambian giants Nkana over a decade and a half ago, has been handed the reins of the 2018 COSAFA Cup team just two years after he won the COSAFA Under-20 title.

“I must congratulate him; he has been working very hard. Obviously it is commendable having won both the 2016 COSAFA Under-20 Cup and the 2018 Under-20 AFCON tournaments,” Phiri said.

“So obviously he has a lot of experience and I am sure at the regional tournament with the senior side is good start.

“The experience is there, all we need to do is to support him so that he can bring glory to the nation.”

Phiri and Chambeshi enjoyed success at Nkana between 1998 and 2002 winning the 1999 and 2001 league titles plus five domestic Cup honours during their time with the record 12-time Zambian league champions.