Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE days when raw talent would easily go to waste due to a lack of expert technical guidance in nurturing it, especially in remote areas could be over following ZIFA’s decision to roll out referees and coach training at grassroots level.
This is part of the core of the US$200 000-rich BancABC Roots Impact programme launched in Harare a fortnight ago.
The BancABC Roots Impact programme will see Under-14 and Under-16 teams, both girls and boys, from all provinces participating in the first-of-its-kind junior football league.
Competition will start from the zonal level before authorities, who have been capacitated with resources for the task, select provincial teams, which will take part in the league as ZIFA move in to ensure football is played throughout the year at grassroots level.
The problem with grassroots football has, however, always been a lack of trained personnel to mould the young players to realise their full potential.
Referees and coaches at the school level have always been picked from interested teachers who lack the basic fundamentals in football.
However, ZIFA have decided that the school authorities be capacitated with the nationwide training expected to be rolled out in a few weeks’ time.
In a statement, ZIFA said: “As ZIFA, we are fully aware of the deficiencies at elementary and school levels when it comes to football development.
“We would like to applaud our teachers and educationists who have always made sure that football is played at schools.
“Their passion has been unparalleled, and we have seen a lot of their products making it into the national teams and representing the country at an international level.
“We have come to realise that football starts at the base. We are thankful to BancABC for putting in the financial resources to ensure that we implement our vision. We hope to start reaping the fruits of this initiative very soon.
“But we have realised that we also need to train referees and coaches for this project to be fully functional. We will be rolling out the training starting soon across the country.”
NAPH and NASH have always raised concerns about the lack of basic training at their levels, with their products always showing a lack of this in abundance.
Cephas Mutumhe, the NAPH president is over the moon with the ZIFA initiative to train teachers to be certified coaches and referees.
“We are very excited by this development. ZIFA have just answered what we have always been questioning all along.
“The training of both referees and coaches will go a long way in developing the youngsters at schools. This will empower teachers and fully capacitate them in technical terms.
“We are waiting for the programmes to start with bated breaths. We are more than ready to partake in this training. Imagine some of our members have had to outsource experts at an extra cost to get the job done. But the courses will bridge that gap and go a long way in capacitating us.”
ZIFA have since signed a MoU with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with the training also forming part of the agreement.
