"We have great talent and I think it's a wonderful challenge for me," he told the BBC.

"The experience in this great country [is what has attracted me] - Zambia has good players so I foresee great results."

Bonetti knows that expectations among Zambian fans are high following Chipolopolo's success in reaching the quarter-finals of the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola - but he has called for a cautious approach.

"It will depend on the quality of our work and many other things," Bonetti added.
"The right mentality in football is not to think too far - it's better to take it step-by-step, match after match."

He said he was relishing the pressure of managing the national side.

"I chose this work because I like the pressure and my life has been full of that because I played for a long time - pressure is part of my life," Bonetti stated.

"This is the fourth country I will be working in and for me, adapting shouldn't be a problem."

Bonetti's first game will be a friendly away to Uganda on 11 August followed by a home Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Comoros Islands in September.