adminEddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
UK-BASED coach educator Phillip Zulu has urged local coaches to enrol for international coaching badges to empower themselves and expand their football knowledge during this period when the nation is under FIFA suspension.
Zulu told The Herald that local coaches have an opportunity to take part in the international advanced coaching course (A-Certificate) for high-level coaches that is set to be rolled out by the Berlin Football Association in September.
There are several coaches dotted around the globe who have attained the Germany A Level qualification and some of them are doing well.
Zulu said local coaches can take advantage for individual development since ZIFA are currently hamstrung by the FIFA suspension.
“At the moment we are under suspension by FIFA so this is an opportunity for local coaches to continue their professional development.
“It’s a good platform to engage the Sports Commission in terms of sign-posting some of the issues that we feel we are complementing ZIFA in trying to enable local coaches to enrol and develop as coaches and bring about broader knowledge and exposure to the game by learning how top-flight football is run in the Germany league.
“We would want to bring that template over here but it has to have support from the Sports Commission, the Ministry of Sports and the Government as well.
“I am doing these initiatives as a way of trying to raise awareness in terms of the coaching standards in the country.
“You can see that when we go to AFCON or any other level of international football tournaments, it’s a disaster. So we are saying football coaching is a long process.
“We need to get as much as we can in terms of encouraging local coaches and also partnering with different clubs abroad. They need to expand their knowledge, their horizons and their philosophy of coaching has to change,” said Zulu.
The coaching course in Germany will also include opportunities to join in training sessions with German Bundesliga clubs of Hertha BSC Berlin and Union Berlin.
The event, which runs from September 5 to 16 in Berlin, has attracted personalities such as Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu, Thulani Sibanda of Bulawayo Chiefs, the Herentals duo of Paul Benza and Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, Australia-based Keith Elijah, Isaac Mbedzi in Canada and Hastings Kamanga, who is coach of Rusheden and Diamonds Under-14 team in England.
International coaches such as Algerian Abdel Ghani Matib, who is now working with the Manchester City development structures, Zambian Kelvin Kaindu and retired former South Africa international Themba Mguni are expected to be part of the class.
“This is more directed to African coaches who find it difficult to access the UEFA qualifications under the English FA and other UEFA countries.
“The German model is quite accessible. We have had experience with German coaches here in Zimbabwe so I think it’s a good model to follow.
“We have had Reinhard Fabisch and Klaus-Dieter Pagels and if we can try to continue with this kind of momentum and give everybody else the understanding of where we made good strides under German coaches and keep it as a benchmark for the future as well,” said Zulu.
The course was postponed three times in the past two years because of the Covid-19 situation but the Berlin Football Association have confirmed.
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