Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube
“I AM now ripe to tame African football.”
These are sentiments of rising American based Zimbabwean young coach Tawanda Kaseke.
He has lived in the US for the past 17 years and attained instructor level qualifications.
“It is time to widen my horizons and take the challenge in the motherland. We go to the world to equip ourselves so that we can return to plough back. We want to have a positive social impact, combine first world practice and the reality world which is what we grew up under. But we cannot allow change not to prevail because we are the Third World, we must move with the times, get the game to the next level,” said Coach TK as he is known.
He left Zimbabwe in 2006 on a scholarship and studied for a degree in international relations. Upon completion of his programme he chose football coaching and pursued 23 coaching badges in the United States of America and Europe.
“I have attended and passed 23 coaching badges. I hold a Uefa B licence United States of America Soccer Federation C certificate, director of coaching diploma, diploma in sports psychology, certificate in mental performance and I am a certified performance analyst,” said Kaseke who has previously volunteered to assist the Mighty Warriors.
Kaseke said they were many young coaches abroad and in Zimbabwe who represented the future who could be further developed so that they help in the development of the sport.
“Everyone likes his country of birth and dreams one day of playing a part as a way of giving back. There is so much we can assist with as we are also developing a healthy human social capital network to help us and the game. We have friends with professional clubs and universities where the academically gifted and football talented can be accommodated,” said Kaseke.
He is working on two stars of the Zimbabwe team that took part in the Cosafa Senior Women’s Championships getting scholarships.
“I would want to uplift the Girl Child and her game. Every year I would want to take one kid to the US for football and academics,” said the soft-spoken Kaseke a former Hamilton and Matopo High Schools pupil.
Kaseke said the modern day coaching trends demanded planning, monitoring, evaluation and scientific approach which extends to performance and data analysis, diet and individual assessment of players.
“I have been a pivotal force in coaching and performance analysis. My dedication extends to formulation of robust strategies that go beyond enhancing player technique, focusing on development of capabilities that resonate on and off the pitch. My philosophy aligns seamlessly with the institution’s and commitment to excellence,” said Coach TK.
Kaseke said he believes in crafting and guiding high-performance teams with a structured attacking and entertaining style.
At the moment Kaseke is coaching Polk State College. He is in his second season and is happy with the programme they are building as director of recruitment.
“We have identified players from Germany, England, Japan, Spain, South Africa and Zimbabwe for the 2024/25 season,” said Kaseke without revealing who exactly among the Mighty Warriors he has targeted who has the right academic results as well.
Kaseke also coaches Auburdale High School who are reigning district champions.
In the US summer Kaseke will be coaching Winter Haven United FC in the United States Premier Soccer League Division One.
Kaseke said having a pool of qualified coaches from Zimbabwe engaged in the sport was good for the game. Since the US is a very big country he said some could be used to assist scout and spy on talent with Zimbabwe roots.
Among Zimbabweans in the US involved in football are Zenzo Ndlovu of Soccer4life, Henry Moyo who has previously coached goalkeepers in the Haiti national team and is a former Black Chiefs of Bulawayo goalie, championship winning coach with Caps United Charles Mhlauri, Eddie Mukahanana, Moore Moyo and Dominic Sithole in Canada.
“There are other young coaches from Zimbabwe coming through like Prichard Ndaira who coaches Faulkner Eagles, Carlton Mhlauri, the son of former Warriors gaffer Charles and Lucky Malala Mkhosana who has retired from the US Major League.
“These guys are young, when you invest in them with the likes of Genesis Mangombe of Dynamos, championship winning Takesure Chiragwi of Ngezi Platinum, Daniel Veremu, Norman Mapeza, Mkhuphali Masuku and Kudzi Manhire who has had Arenel promoted to the Premiership, you have the future looking good. Young coaches can adapt to the changing world of football where education and scientific approach is key. You need to spend hours and hours on research and conceptualise,” all the changes and demands of the game today.
Kaseke said he is ripe to try the Zimbabwe football landscape and help develop young talent with emphasis on the overseas market towards a sustainable model for clubs where football funds itself primarily before sponsors come on board.
“If you produce sellable young players to the right market, our clubs will stand out and challenge the rest in the continent, but if your biggest sell is US$5 000 per transfer window compared to US$1 million for a good player, you cannot survive the heat in the competitive world of professional football,” said Kaseke who happens to be the younger brother of former
Highlanders and Zimbabwe international Noel Kaseke who is among a few Zimbabweans to play in the European and African Champions League tournaments.
Two of his brothers Tapiwa and Takwana earned US academic and football scholarships after their days at Bulawayo’s CBC.
Few athletes have returned home to plough back like Methembe Ndlovu and the way Tawanda intends doing.
Online Reporter