Chronicle EditorFungai Muderere, [email protected]
MIGHTY Warriors assistant coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji15” is feeling on top of the world as she is part of the participants at the ongoing Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) facilitated 10-day Elite Women’s Football Instructors Course that is set to conclude on Wednesday in Morocco.
The course forms part of Caf’s ongoing commitment to developing women’s football on the continent.
Sibanda quickly dashed to Morocco after helping the Mighty Warriors finish on position four at the just concluded Cosafa Women’s Championship tournament that was held in Pretoria, South Africa.
In an interview from Morocco, Sibanda, a former Mighty Warriors midfielder said: “It feels great to be part of this class but I must admit it’s a hectic and challenging programme. A lot of learning is taking place and I think this is a great opportunity for me. I’m happy that I got the recognition and the invite. I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I will get here and I’m very much grateful to Caf,” said Sibanda,who is one of the few elite female football instructors in the African continent.
The course is expected to delve deep into various topics which include modern trends of football, the modern athlete’s physical fitness needs, organisation and evaluation of training sessions, female-specific training and a detailed evaluation and analysis of Africa’s performance at the recent Fifa Women’s World Cup.
“Football coaching is not easy, it’s challenging but again it’s an interesting journey. One needs to work hard; it needs lots of sacrifice. You need to constantly develop yourself to get these opportunities, you cannot be just called from nowhere to get the opportunity that I am in. Learning does not stop.
“Obviously to get to instructorship you start with the coaching journey, lots of research, make sure you are doing football everyday of your life. As a person you learn every day and there are modern trends to grasp. Best programmes are needed for coaches. A good instructor otherwise also better known now as a coach educator will produce good coaches and good coaches will in turn produce good players and football will develop,” said Sibanda.
Caf, Head of Women’s Football Meskerem Tadesse said they were happy that Caf was working hand in glove with its Member Associations (MAs) to develop women’s football.
“The passion for the women’s game on the continent is at an all-time high, thanks to Caf’s close working efforts with its Member Associations and various stakeholders in increasing the standard of women’s football in Africa. We are working hard towards making African football to be globally competitive as laid out by our President. Such courses clearly demonstrate the potential the women’s game has. As Caf, we want to ensure that we avail all possible resources in ensuring that women’s football in Africa reaches its full potential”, said Meskerem.
Meskerem further stressed the importance of having trained and licensed coaches, which would in turn benefit grassroots football in the women’s game.
“Coaching education is a crucial component of women’s football development. Currently, our continent has just over 5 000 women coaches who are Caf-certified, which we believe is insufficient. We believe that with such capacity building programmes, the instructors will be motivated and empowered to deliver courses in their respective MAs”, she said. – @FungaiMuderere
Online Reporter