Zambia official denies Stuart Baxter reports

This was revealed by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Deputy Secretary-General Joseph Chimpapwe in an exclusive interview with SABC Sport on the sidelines of the World Football Summit Africa in Durban on Wednesday, after it was reported in local media that Baxter had been a front-runner in the race.

"He wasn't even one of the applicants, so I can safely say no," responded Chimpapwe, when asked if they were exploring the option of hiring Baxter.

FAZ are searching for a new coach to replace Croatian tactician Aljosa Asanovic, who vacated his post in September over alleged unpaid salaries. 

The public broadcaster’s sports desk has learnt that former Nigerian national team head coach Gernot Rohr was a shoo-in for this position until he recently ruled himself out of contention after he received a job in the Gulf region.

Zambian media reported a shortlist of three candidates, including former Chelsea and Ghana national team coach Avram Grant and two local coaches – Wedson Nyirenda and Honour Janza. 

The Zambian FA are confident that by the end of this week they would have finalized the appointment of their new national team boss.

"Unfortunately the coach that came in left, yes. It's not three [candidates], that's just the media. There was a national team committee that was put up, they've come up with a shortlist of names – not what was peddling in social media," he added.

"So, by the end of this week, I think we should be able to announce [the new Chipolopolo coach]."