adminNgqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
FOOTBALL coaches in Plumtree, Matabeleland South and surrounding areas will get the chance to upgrade their coaching badges when Zifa hosts a Caf C coaching course in the border town in August.
Zifa Southern Region Technical and Development Committee chairman, Tumediso “Drogba” Mokoena said the course presents an opportunity to Level 3 and Level 4 holders to upgrade themselves.
The course will begin on 7 August. It will be the first time that Zifa hosts such a course in Plumtree bringing relief to the coaching community in the area who were disadvantaged by having to travel to other towns to attend the course.
“We are cognisant of the fact that there are more people who would want to upgrade their qualifications and meet the standards set by Zifa hence we want to make it easy for the coaches to advance themselves. We will be taking more courses to the provinces as we seek to ensure coaches get the requisite qualifications,” said Mokoena.
Zifa this year introduced the standardisation which meant one could only coach at a certain level after acquiring the set badges.
Meanwhile football administrators are set to have a chance to enhance their knowledge in the running of the sport when Zifa holds an administration course this weekend in the city. The two-day course will run on 23 and 24 June at Homestead Conference Centre and is aimed at administrators in the lower rungs of the game.
Zifa Southern Region Technical and Development Committee coordinator, Mkhululi Mthunzi said the course is targeted at those running clubs in Division One, Two, Three, juniors clubs and schools sports administrators.
“It is an elementary course that introduces the basic tenets of football administration. It is critical that those running the game acquire basic knowledge to ensure clubs are managed properly. There has been concerns that few courses are being held for administrators with most targeting coaches and we hope attendance will be high. Course fees are pegged at $20 and we are looking forward to having top football administrator, Kenny Ndebele, who is a Fifa regional instructor for administration and management facilitating the course,” he said.
Mthunzi revealed they have partnered non-governmental organisation Orap to empower teachers in Matabeleland South with coaching skills through the hosting of the Level One coaching course scheduled for Nswazi in Esigodini on 25 June.
Mthunzi said they are working with National Association for Secondary School Heads and National Association for Primary School Heads to ensure they have an equal number of teachers from primary and secondary schools. He said Orap would be funding the better part of the course with participants only required to pay a commitment fee of $20.
Bongani Ndlovu