Byo City comply with Zifa directive

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City FC are in the process of hiring an assistant coach with a Caf A Licence in line with a Zifa directive on standardisation of coaches.

Zifa’s technical committee met in Harare last week and resolved to implement its strict standardisation for local football coaching that requires all topflight coaches to possess a Caf A Licence from this season.

City began their pre-season training last month, with acting coach Try Ncube, a Caf B Licence holder, taking players through their paces in the absence of suspended gaffer Philani “Beefy” Ncube.

“Zifa made a directive like you rightfully said and as a club governed by football laws, we are going to comply with that directive by looking for an assistant with qualifications Zifa wants. We’ve started the process of engaging that person and we hope to finalise soon. The acting coach (Try Ncube) is overseeing the pre-season while waiting for an assistant coach with a Caf A Licence,” said acting City chairman Zenzo Moyo.

City cannot hire a substantive head coach, as they are waiting for Zifa, which suspended Beefy last year, to conclude its case.

Zifa is already in the process of sending an official communiqué to all topflight and lower division clubs directing them to implement the new requirements.

The requirement is in line with club licensing and Zifa organised a Caf A course for Caf B Licence holders, giving them an opportunity to attain the highest coaching qualification in Africa to take charge of topflight teams as head coaches.

Under the new Zifa requirement, Caf B and Caf C Licence holders can only be assistant coaches in the PSL.

Division One coaches are required to possess a Caf B badge as a minimum requirement, while their assistants should have a Caf C or Zifa Level Four Licence.

In the Second Division, a coach should have a Caf C Licence, while his understudies should have a Level Three qualification as a minimum standard.

The coaching standards have also cascaded down to Division Three, tertiary institutions and schools. For secondary schools, a Zifa Level Two badge is now mandatory, while primary school coaches should now hold at least a Level Two certificate.

Moyo also revealed that they had lost right-back Morris Kadzola to How Mine following the expiry of his loan spell. Skipper Xolisani Moyo has joined Ngezi Platinum Stars and left-back Brian Chikwenya to his parent club Bulawayo Chiefs.

Chikwenya is believed to be in How Mine and ZPC Kariba’s radars.

Moyo confirmed that goalkeeper Ndodana Sibanda and Brighton Dube, whose contracts expired at the end of last season, are yet to report for training.

@ZililoR