By Kennedy Gondwe BBC Sport, Lusaka

Togo coach Stephen Keshi will be removed from the shortlist

The Zambian government has instructed the country's football association to redraw its five-man short-list for the new coach of the Zambian national team.

Keshi was favoured to become Chipolopolo coach and was included on the list but he has since accepted an offer to return as the coach of Togo.

Also out of the race is Englishman Colwyn Rodger Rowe who is believed to have applied for the vacancy despite recently being appointed Botswana coach.

"Since the two coaches [Keshi and Rowe] have already been employed, it leaves three people on the short-list," sports permanent secretary Bob Samakai told BBC Sport.

"Our thinking was that the list has to include more people to have a variety.

"It means Keshi and Rowe have to be replaced."

He said the government has directed the sports council and the Football Association of Zambia (Faz) to revisit the names of the 40 candidates that had initially applied for the job.

"There's no point in re-advertising the job because we still have the list of initial applicants," Samakai said.

"The sports council and Faz are supposed to sit as soon as possible so that the process of interviewing the candidates can start.

"Hopefully, by April, we can have the coach employed."

A local business has offered to meet the salary of the new coach for a five-year period.

Zambia have been looking for a permanent replacement of Kalusha Bwalya since his resignation last April.

Former coach Patrick Phiri has been caretaker trainer while the recruitment process is underway.

Following the exclusion of Keshi and Rowe, Brazilian Edson Silva, former Hungary coach Bertalan Bicskei and Englishman James Duffy are the remaining candidates on the short-list.