10 Things You Didn’t Know About Patrick Phiri

Phiri is a Zambian football coach and former footballer
he was born on the 3rd of May 1956
He featured for Zambian clubs Rokana United and Red Arrows as a striker and represented Zambia at the 1978 and 1982 African Cup of Nations tournaments
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
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
Phiri’s performances at Arrows earned him a call-up to the national team under Ante Buselic at the age of 20, as Zambia prepared for the 1976 Montreal Olympics which Zambia pulled out of for political reasons
In 1986, Arrows went on a poor run and at the half-way stage, were rooted to the bottom of the 12 team table with 7 points from 11 matches, a situation which saw their fans riot in protest
Phiri is married to Cecilia Mutale and they have two children; Melesianiah and Patrick Jnr who has not followed in his father’s famous footsteps