Football professionals urged to own up to mistakes

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
FOOTBALL administrators and coaches must learn to live up to their mistakes and avoid looking for non-existent and unreasonable arguments if they are sanctioned for violating contractual agreements.

Speaking during the official launch of the Caf B licence course being conducted by Nelson Matongorere, Gibson Homela and Zifa technical director Taurayi Mangwiro in Bulawayo yesterday, Zifa vice president Omega Sibanda said it would not help football if those found on the wrong side of the law fail to look at their own misdeeds but instead start coming up with other frivolous and unfounded reasons for their situation.

“If as a coach you’re fired from your job, go with honour, don’t start screaming regionalism or tribalism as the reason for your demise. We’re saying no to claims of tribalism and regionalism,” said Sibanda who was accompanied by Southern Region boss Musa Mandaza and board member Tumediso “Drogba” Mokoena.

Sibanda said the social ills which some people were trying to use in an effort to win public support, have no place under the Zifa leadership. He said coaches must never fight leadership.

“Tribalism will take us nowhere as a country, it has no place in our football and so I want to urge you as coaches to also shun it.

As you do your final team selection make sure that process is done on merit not on where the player is coming from,” said Sibanda.

Meanwhile, Zifa has begun an ambitious programme which will see the national association training 680 grassroots coaches per year for the next five years.

Sibanda said Zifa note, with sadness, that the country was coming short in terms of grassroots coaches as most coaches seemed eager to just work with an almost finished product.

“Most of our coaches can only work with youth to senior players, we don’t have people who can work with six-year-olds so as Zifa we’ve begun a five year programme that will see 680 coaches graduating with grassroots coaching qualifications and this programme will run for the next five years,” said Sibanda.

Some of the coaches attending the Caf B course include the legendary Agent Sawu, Bulawayo City acting head coach Try Ncube, Amagagasi coach Zibonele Ncube, Bulawayo Chiefs’ Thulani Sibanda, Gilbert Mushangazhike and ex-Chapungu goalie Innocent Chogugudza.