By Mubukwanu Kaingu
Ex-Chipolopolo and Zambia coach Rold Poulsen of Denmark has died.
Several Danish media reports have stated that Poulsen, 73 died on Wednesday after a long illness.
The Dane was part of the fabric of foreign and local coaches who helped revive Chipolopolo after the 1993 Gabon Air crash.
Poulsen was given charge of the national team in 1995 following the departure of the late Ian Porterfield who had a year earlier guided Zambia to a second place finish at the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia.
The Dane guided Zambia to the semifinals of the 1996 AFCON where Chipolopolo won bronze in South Africa.
But Poulsen’s biggest claim to fame was his forgotten role as Zambia U23 coach.
Mwape Miti, Alex Namazaba, Vincent Mutale and the late Jones Mwewa were some of the U23 players he promoted to Chipolopolo.
Poulsen returned for a stand-in role at the 2002 AFCON tournament.
He replaced Dutchman Jan Brouwer who qualified Chipolopolo to the 2002 AFCON but was banned for the Mali tournament.
Brouwer was banned by CAF after a post-match altercation with match officials away in Antananarivo in Chipolopolo’s must-win group qualifier against Madagascar which Zambia won 1-0.
In his homeland, Poulsen led OB Odense to the Danish league title in 1989 and remains their last one since then.
Odense was later home of Miti and Andrew Tembo.
