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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
IN line with the Fifa Club Licensing pre-requisite, Zifa is demanding that only qualified coaches sit on the technical area in all leagues. Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said clubs and coaches have had enough time to capacitate their personnel with Fifa having given Zimbabwe four years to implement club licensing. According to a Zifa statement, Premiership coaches must be holders of a Zimbabwe Socccer Coaches Association (Zisca) Level Four certificate, a Caf Licence B or better qualification with regional Division One Soccer League gaffers being holders of a Zisca Level Three and a Caf Licence C or better.
It is at the grassroots that Zifa has been having problems standardising coaches, where even mentors without proper training have been seen barking instructions.
It is a pre-requisite for provincial leagues, Naph and Nash which are developmental areas to employ coaches with at least a Zisca Level One knowledge or youth coaching certificate.
Gwesela said coaches who fail to meet set standards will not be allowed in technical areas.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association has reminded all affiliate leagues of the need to implement the standardisation process for the coaches for the 2014 season. This is in adherence to club licensing requirements.
“Coaches who do not meet the qualification will not be issued with coaching licences for the season and consequently they will not be eligible to sit on their respective benches. A list of qualified coaches registered with the association shall be circulated inside the month of February 2014,” Gwesela said.
Zisca secretary-general Oscar Mazhambe welcomed the development and urged Zifa to descend on defaulting clubs.
He said unqualified coaches posed a danger to development of soccer as they lacked the skill to nurture talent.
Mazhambe said his organisation has produced a number of coaches who meet the requirements.
“We have been advocating for such a development and it couldn’t have come at a better time than now. We encourage people to attend our coaching programmes that we hold in almost every corner of the country and over the years we have produced a number of coaches.
“As Zisca we are happy that finally Zifa is getting stricter because some clubs have been employing under qualified coaches who in turn become a problem because they would not have gone through training. With right personnel, I believe that we are destined for better development in terms of grassroots training,” said Mazhambe.
The country’s football flagship, Premier Soccer League, said they have always been compliant with Fifa Club Licensing requirements with all their affiliates having suitable coaches.
“We have been preaching the gospel of Fifa Club Licensing and I think this move by Zifa shows that there is no going back with this programme. We have been encouraging our clubs and in terms of coaches they are qualified and the referees always check their licences which are prepared by Zifa,” said Kennedy Ndebele, the PSL chief executive officer.
Online Reporter