Patrick Phiri

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. He was too young to play for the team in actual matches but the exposure at an early age made him better than his age-mates. Phiri began featuring for Buseko in 1973 and stayed with the team for two seasons until he was lured to Division I side Rokana United in 1974 by Zambian international star Bernard 'Bomber' Chanda, who also started his career at Buseko and at the time was courting Phiri's immediate elder sister Louisa whom he ended up marrying. After a spell in the reserves, Phiri was promoted to the first team the following year and he made an immediate impact, more than holding his own among players like Chanda, Stone Chibwe, Brighton Sinyangwe, Moses Simwala and Mark Masumbuko. Sporting an afro hair-style like his brother-in-law, the teenager was Rokana's top scorer with 21 goals. One of the highlights of his season was a brace against Mufulira Wanderers in a 3–0 victory at Rokana's home ground Scrivener Stadium. The skilful forward caught the eye of second division football club Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Football Club (later renamed Red Arrows) who enticed him to join them towards the end of the season, together with other Rokana players Johnston Katowando, Shadreck Chungu, and Bernard 'Tools' Mutale who had moved earlier in July. This…

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. The team's executive acted swiftly by appointing Phiri as player-coach, replacing Simutowe. Arrows performances improved under Phiri and they survived relegation at the end of the season. Phiri disclosed that he found being player-coach the best way to coach, as he was involved in the action on the pitch and could easily pass on instructions to other players. That same year, he was sent to West Germany for a basic coaching course. The following season which spilled into the following year due to a dispute over an unfulfilled fixture involving Kabwe Warriors which went as far as the courts, Arrows took the league by storm, leading the table for a large part of the season and eventually finishing third, three points behind champions Warriors but scoring more goals than any other team. He got his intermediate certificate in 1989 in Germany in 1991, the changing economic climate saw Arrows being demoted to Division I and the ZAF top brass made the decision to disband the team. Phiri therefore joined Zambia Airways sponsored FAZ Division I side Ndeke Rangers in 1992 which also went under following the liquidation of the national airline in 1994. Phiri found himself at Queensmead Stadium in 1994 first as Obby Kapita's assistant at Lusaka Dynamos before taking over the reins in 1995 and took…

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. Not only was he a keen student but he excelled on the football pitch as well.

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.