Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER completing his Uefa A coaching licence, seven years since hanging up his boots, celebrated former Warriors’ skipper Benjani Mwaruwari says he now views football differently.
The Uefa A Licence is one level below the Uefa Pro Licence and allows holders to be head coaches of youth teams up to the age of 18, reserve teams for topflight clubs and men’s professional second-tier clubs.
It also enables holders to go for the Uefa Pro Licence, which is the highest coaching certification in Europe’s football management.
Upon retirement at the end of the 2013/14 season after turning out for Bidvest Wits in South Africa, the ex-national team captain set his sights on going for the Uefa coaching badges following 20 years of professional football that brought him fame and fortune.
The 42-year-old did his Uefa A course in Belfast, Ireland, and is now ready to take on the world of football in a different role.
The former Auxerre, Portsmouth and Manchester City player, whose rise to stardom took off from the dusty streets of one of Bulawayo’s oldest suburbs, Old Magwegwe, told South African radio station SAFM that going through the Uefa coaching classes has made him view football differently.
“When you are still young and playing, you hope to retire someday, but when you are close to retirement, you wish to carry on playing.
When the day to hang up my boots, I had made up my mind that I was going for the Uefa badges and I don’t regret that decision. Going through those classes has made me wiser and I now see football differently,” said Mwaruwari.
“I always thought coaching is easy and just a walk in the park, but I now know it takes a lot for that final product or match day display.
Hours are spent planning, analysing your players’ performances at training, analysing opponents based on statistics, deciding on the game plan, managing clubs’ books and a whole lot more. Coaching and playing are two different things and you get to learn how to manage players, working through a tight budget. This course has really opened my eyes,” he said.
Managing clubs’ books charmed the Zimbabwean legend, who spent close to a decade in topflight leagues in South Africa, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom.
“You know, from my experience regarding our country and some clubs in South Africa, I realised that coaches at times take jobs without fully understanding clubs’ objectives. From what I’ve learnt, a coach plays a key role in managing the club’s books in relation to Fifa financial fair play. Say you are engaged by a club with less financial muscle, you have to balance the squad, get players who will add value and build a competitive team at a low price and maybe sell some that you would have developed. That way, you strike a balance on the field of play and at the same time the club makes a profit from sale of players.
“This is one concept that can assist clubs back home, especially those with less financial power to get unheralded players for less, develop and sell them. That’s football business, but do clubs’ bosses understand this concept?” said Mwaruwari.
He harbours coaching in Zimbabwe one day, but is in no hurry to return, as he wants to first gain experience abroad.
“I was with Portsmouth on attachment while doing this badge. Now I need to forward my CV to clubs and see how it goes. My wish now is to be involved, be it at an academy or as an assistant coach at some club in Europe. Maybe, two years down the line, then I may consider coming back home,” said Mwaruwari.
He told Chronicle Sport that it took him seven years after retirement to get his coaching badge because of other business commitments.
“Some guys I played with long got their badges, but I wasn’t in a race with anyone and this is something that got me going; running my own race.”
Mwaruwari has always been patient and never allows setbacks to frustrate his goals.
When he made his first break in Europe by joining Grasshoppers of Switzerland in 2001 from South Africa’s Jomo Cosmos, Mwaruwari had failed trials in Norway, Turkey and China.
“I spent a year in Switzerland. I needed to learn the culture of Europe; how they do things and acclimatise to the cold weather. I think the year I spent in Switzerland helped me a lot and by the time I signed for Auxerre, I was familiar with European football. The quality of players in France is not like in England whereby you need power and pace. The French players are technical. When I went for trials at Auxerre there were many strikers. The coach said ‘look, you did well, but we have a lot of strikers so we don’t have space.
“I was so lucky because my coach, who was leaving my previous club Grasshoppers, was signed by Lausanne and he wanted to take me there. On our way there, Auxerre officials called because some players like Khalilou Fadiga, Djibril Cisse and (Jean-Alain) Boumsong went to the coach and said ‘where is that guy who was here’?
“Then the coach thought ‘maybe I made a mistake not to sign that guy’ and he called me. I had an argument with my manager because these guys were doubting me. I wanted to honour the guy that really wanted me. But I am glad my manager managed to convince me and then the following day we managed to fly to France and we signed the deal,” Mwaruwari said. — @ZililoR
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