Online Reporter
Cutworth Masango-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT has been a long and arduous eight-year wait but the CAF certified coaching courses are at ZIFA.
The football association have officially launched their first CAF C coaching course since 2017 with the ZIFA Village in Mt Hampden being the site where rookie caches are building their capacities.
The programme aims to revive coach education and youth development, marking a significant step towards meeting FIFA and CAF requirements for local coaches to be recognised by the global football community.
Speaking during the launch function, ZIFA technical director Jethro Hunidzarira emphasised the importance of the course, saying, “This is a big breakthrough for us. If we succeed, our coaches’ education will be back on track.
“The course will be overseen by four local coach educators, with FIFA and CAF set to send an instructor to assess their competency,’’ Hunidzarira aid.
The CAF C License targets coaches working with players aged from 12 to 16, a critical developmental stage.
And the man in charge of coach education at ZIFA, Joseph Sibindi, also highlighted the importance of nurturing young players emotionally, cognitively, and technically.
The class of 30 students includes former players like Chipo Tsodzo who starred for Zimbabwe Saints and Mwana Africa, and ex-Mighty Warriors international Felistus Muzongondi.
Hunidzarira acknowledged the neglect of Zimbabwe’s youth structures but vowed to implement stronger monitoring systems to ensure long-term sustainability.
With this initiative, ZIFA are taking a crucial step towards rebuilding their coaching framework and developing the next generation of football talent.
CAF had been unhappy with the manner in which previous coaching courses were conducted in which some prospective candidates were also fleeced of their money but never received their certificates.
Among the key benefits of the revival of the coaching courses are that there will be:
l Improved Coaching Standards in which the course will equip coaches with the necessary skills and knowledge to nurture young players effectively, focusing on emotional, cognitive, and technical development. This will lead to better coaching standards and enhanced player development
l Increased capacity building: With four local coach educators overseeing the course and FIFA/CAF sending an instructor to assess their competency, ZIFA will have a stronger foundation for coach education. This will enable them to conduct more courses and develop more coaches across the country
l Enhanced sustainability — by certifying local instructors, ZIFA will have a sustainable system for coach development, reducing reliance on external expertise. This will ensure that coaching courses can be conducted regularly, benefiting more coaches and players’’.
This is because coaches with a CAF C-License can work with junior and amateur teams, developing players’ skills from basic to advanced techniques.
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