Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Football Association has ordered Premier Soccer League clubs to appoint head coaches with Caf A licences ahead of the 2026 Castle Lager Premiership season.
In a circular issued by acting general secretary Norman Gwangwadza, Zifa said all top-flight head coaches must hold a Caf A badge, while their assistants must possess Caf B licences. The qualifications must be valid and registered on the Fifa Connect platform.
The directive places FC Platinum in a tight spot after their recent appointment of former Warriors and Highlanders midfielder Joel Luphahla as head coach.
Luphahla, who guided Simba Bhora last season, holds a Caf B licence. He does not yet have the Caf A qualification now required for PSL head coaches.
Last year he stood out during his Caf coaching course, finishing among the few who passed when many others did not. Speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub at the time, Luphahla said his next target was the Caf A badge.
Under the new guidelines, men’s Division One head coaches must hold Caf B licences, with assistants required to have Caf C. In Division Two, head coaches must have Caf D, with assistants holding the same qualification.
In the women’s Premier League, head coaches must possess Caf B certificates, while their assistants need Caf C. Women’s Division One head coaches must hold Caf C, with deputies required to have Caf D.
“All coaches must be holders of valid coaching licences and must be registered in the Fifa Connect platform,” said Gwangwadza.
Meanwhile, Zifa technical director Dominique Niyonzima said the ongoing week-long Caf A refresher course is designed to sharpen the skills of badge holders and align them with the demands of the modern game.
