Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SHE once made headlines as the first woman to coach in Zimbabwe’s topflight men’s league. Now, she’s dribbled into the core of African football’s technical future.
Following her successful completion of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Women Instructors Development Programme, Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda has received a major endorsement from the continent’s football governing body.
Caf has officially encouraged the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to actively involve Sibanda in upcoming national and continental education programmes, citing her potential to enhance coaching quality across the region.
The dreadlocked former Mighty Warriors and New Orleans player, who heads the national women’s team, continues to break new ground in the football space.
Warmly known across football circles as Kwinji 15, Sibanda completed the Caf programme designed to strengthen the capacity of women coach educators across the continent.
The programme began online on March 5 and ran through April, followed by an intensive in person workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 5 to 9.
In a letter dated May 28, Caf’s technical development director Raul Chipenda wrote to Zifa:
“We are delighted to confirm that Instructor Sithethelelwe Sibanda participated fully both in the online and in person phases of the programme. Based on her performance and evaluations conducted by Caf appointed technical experts, Instructor Sibanda has demonstrated the competence and readiness to deliver Caf coaching courses up to Caf B Licence level and to assist in the delivery of the Caf A Licence course.”
Chipenda went on to underscore Caf’s drive to elevate women within football’s leadership and technical spaces:
“Caf remains deeply committed to the empowerment and advancement of women in football. This programme is a testament to our efforts to elevate female professionals into leadership and technical roles across the Member Associations. In light of her successful completion and commendable evaluation, we kindly encourage the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to actively involve Instructor Sithethelelwe Sibanda in future national and Caf education programmes. We believe her expertise will greatly contribute to the growth and quality of coaching within the federation and the region.”
Sibanda’s resume continues to stack up.
In 2015, she became the first female coach to work in a competitive men’s football league in Zimbabwe after being appointed assistant coach to Lizwe Sweswe at Tsholotsho FC during their debut season in the Premier Soccer League.
And as if that wasn’t ground breaking enough, she later served as assistant coach to Shadreck Mlauzi when the Mighty Warriors represented Zimbabwe at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
From the sidelines of Tsholotsho to the boardrooms of Caf, Kwinji 15 is no longer just breaking barriers, she’s setting the coaching blueprint for African women. — @FungaiMuderere
