Zambia national team football coach Sven Vandenbroeck says he resigned in February from his position long before the country’s football association announced they would not renew his contract.

The Football Association of Zambia (Faz) last week announced that it would not offer the Belgian a new contract at the end of March after the Chipolopolo failed to qualify for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations ( Afcon).

Vandenbroeck - who was hired on a short-term deal last year after the resignation of Wedson Nyirenda - has denied Faz’s claim.

In a statement he said:

Ten days before the press release of the federation [that they will not renew my contract], I already communicated clearly to the president that it would be better to not continue and extend the contract.

In fact on 14 February, 2019 I wrote a message to the president that I had resigned... I am disappointed with the wrong perception created by Faz to the outside world.”

Zambia's failure to qualify means they have now missed out on two successive Afcon finals.