German side VfB Eichstätt ropes in George Mbwando
ALMOST two years after reportedly quitting to work as a technician in oil refineries in Europe, former Warriors defender George “Zambia” Mbwando has made a return to the sport after being appointed development coach at German fourthtier side VfB Eichstätt.
Mbwando appeared to have been lost to the game when he announced that he had quit football after being frustrated by lack of coaching opportunities in Germany, where he has been based for more than two decades now.
After the sabbatical, the 45-year-old former Zimbabwe international defender is now back and yesterday announced on social media that he had been appointed as the new head coach of the Under-19 team at VfB Eichstätt.
“Back to the love of my life, the bitter-sweet football journey continues... new head coach for the Under-19 VFB Eichstaat,” Mbwando said in a statement on Facebook.
The new role will see Mbwando working with the Under-19 VfB Eichstätt team, who are a German association football club from the town of Eichstätt, Bavaria.
The club has since 2017 competed in the Regionalliga Bayern, the fourth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in Bavaria.
Mbwando will be in familiar territory in German football where he played for several clubs such as VfB Oldenburg, VfB Lübeck, Alemannia Aachen, Jahn Regensburg and FC Ingolstadt between 1998 and 2008.
Locally, Mbwando is fondly remembered for his role as a key member of the trailblazing Warriors squad, who represented the country at Zimbabwe’ maiden Afcon finals in Tunisia in 2004.