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Fungai Muderere
THE Southern Region Five- A-side League will for the second time this year host a five-day Zifa Futsal Level One training course for coaches, referees and administrators in preparation for the 2017 season from 24 to 28 November at Fatima High School.
The inaugural Level One course in the region started on Monday and it was set to conclude on Saturday at Football For Hope Centre located in Bulawayoa��s Gwabalanda suburb where Gibson Homela , Weekly Mwale and formerA� national Five -A-side assistant coach Enock Mutuma were facilitators.
a�?We are happy that we managed to have the course for the first time in the region and in Bulawayo in particular. The response from the participants was very positive and in that regard we are going to have the same course in Matabeleland North. The course will be held at Fatima High School and we are looking forward to see schools send representatives,a�? said Southern Region Five A-side League marketing officer Ndabezinhle Ndlovu.
a�?We have structures in place but lack of training for our coaches, referees and administrators stood in the way of running the league in the same manner as our sister entity the Premier Soccer League. Just like the one held in Bulawayo, the course will be divided into theory and practical sessions and only participants that pass the tests will be awarded certificate,a�? added Ndlovu.
He said this was all in an effort to spread knowledge about the game and they are going to conduct a similar course in Bubi District from 15 to 20 January next year.
A total of 15 participants that include Winston Banda, Agnes Dube, Albert Mkandla,A� Zwelibanzi Zulu, Mncedisi Maphosa, Mbongeni Ndebele, Chance Moyo, Luckmore Nyathi, Philani Banda,A� Kudakwashe Pasi and Mthandazo Ndlovu among others, paid aA� registration fee of $100 to attend the courseA� that was held in Bulawayo.
Despite being founded five years ago the Southern Region Five-A-side League has failed to run smoothly over the years with the league programme sometimes abandoned half way into a season due to financial constraints and lack of a proper administration set up.
The league, however, hopes to have a smooth sailing 2017 season and has begun regularising their operations starting with the Zifa Fustal Level One training course.
The Southern Region Five-A-side League has 10 clubs under its umbrella namely Fox FC, Khalanyoni, FC Amabhubesi, Fog FC, Nyoro United and Rome FC.
The quartet of Wangu Wangu, Binga United, Cowdray Park and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) complete the list of clubs in the league.
Nationally the game is run by the futsal and beach soccer committee chairman Felton Kamambo.
Worldwide Five-A-side football is also known as futsal and is played on a smaller field and mainly indoors. It is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper and unlimited substitutions are permitted.
Five-A-side football is played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football due to the surface of the field. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity, and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
derick.khumalo