…Lachman postpones youth football camp to join Zambia national team
Zambia national soccer team head coach Avram Grant has named compatriot Eyal Lachman his assistant coach ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Morocco and Tanzania.
Lachman, 58, replaces Marco Balbul, who left his role with the Chipolopolo in March after his contract expired and went on to take charge of Maccabi Netanya in Israel.
The Israeli gaffer has since joined the Chipolopolo who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday night. He is expected to be officially introduced to the team this Thursday.
Lachman, who has been unattached for the past four years, having last coached at Israeli side Hapoel R’anana, was due to take a group of school children to a football youth camp, which has now been postponed.
“I would like to inform you that I signed with the Zambian team for the World Cup qualifiers as Avram Grant’s assistant. Meetings in the national teams are in short windows, about 3-4 times a year, two games each time,” Lachman wrote in a message sent to parents of his training camp students.
He promised to return to Israel and take his students through the training camp after Chipolopolo’s crucial World Cup qualification assignments.
“In the first step, I gave my consent for the upcoming window, the two upcoming matches next week against Morocco and Tanzania, and the training sessions for them. Travels tonight and returns on the 12th of the month, in weeks. Looking forward to your support and understanding. So, the first day of our camp will be postponed by a week, from Thursday 6th June to Thursday 13th June.”
Lachman is an addition to Grant’s technical bench, which has been depleted following the departure of Balbul and the inexplicable disappearance of physical trainer Jamie Lawrence.
