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Raymond Jaravaza
LOCAL administrators of five-a-side football a�� the Southern Region Five-aside League a�� will be conducting a course for coaches and referees in preparation for the 2017 season.
Despite being founded five years ago the Southern Region Five-a-side League has failed to run smoothly over the years with the league programme sometimes abandoned half-way into a season due to financial constraints and lack of a proper administration set up.
The league, however, hopes to have a smooth sailing 2017 season and has begun regularising their operations starting with a Zifa Futsal Level One training course for coaches, referees and administrators scheduled for November 7.
The course will run for five days and will cost $50 per participant.
Worldwide five-a-side football is also known as futsal and is played on a smaller field and mainly indoors.
It is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper and unlimited substitutions are permitted.
Five-a-side football is played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football due to the surface of the field.
The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity, and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
The Southern Region Five-A-side League is targeting coaches and administrators from all 10 clubs under the association.
League chairman Philani Banda explained: a�?This is the first course for five-a-side football coaches, referees and administrators in Bulawayo as we endeavour to run the league professionally in preparation for the 2017 season.
a�?We have structures in place but lack of training for our coaches, referees and administrators stood in the way of running the league in the same manner as our sister entity the Premier Soccer League.
a�?The course will be divided into theory and practical sessions and only participants that pass the tests will be awarded certificates. We want every club to have a trained coach and administrator before the start of the next seasona�?.
Gibson Homela will instruct the five-day course that will be held at Queens Sports Club.
The Southern Region Five-A-side League has 10 clubs under its umbrella namely Fox FC, Khalanyoni, FC Amabhubesi, Fog FC, Nyoro United and Rome FC.
The quartet of Wangu Wangu, Binga United, Cowdray Park and National University of Science and Technology (Nust) complete the list of clubs in the league.
Nationally the game is run by the futsal and beach soccer committee chairman Felton Kamambo.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter