Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Football Association technical director Wilson Mutekede says they will continue to hold coaching courses around the country as the Fifa imposed suspension does not mean football is dead in Zimbabwe.
Mutekede was speaking after the conclusion of a Level One coaching course held at Milton High School in Bulawayo yesterday.
Level One is for beginners who are supposed to train players at grassroots level.
Junior football is the foundation of the game of football and it is important that coaches are equipped with knowledge and skills to nurture talent hence the importance of the course.
A total of 23 coaches attended the course, with some of the notable names in attendance being Highlanders welfare manager Vezigama Dlodlo, former players Newman Sianchali, Benson Phiri, Munyaradzi Chitambwe, Innocent
Kutsanzira as well as administrator, Allan Ripper Mpofu and Sibekiwe Ndlovu.
Philani “Beefy” Ncube and Sithethelelwe Sibanda facilitated the seven- day programme.
“The golden message is we are not going to stop to learn because of the challenges we find ourselves in. We are going to continue to capacitate each other. When the time comes, infact the domestic season is still on and we would like to work from our foundation so that we have the requisite skills to make the game of football as competitive as possible,” said Mutekede.
He said despite the sanctions, the game of football is alive in the country.
“We have to continue capacitating our coaches. We are banned yes but should we paralyse everything locally? Definitely one day when the sanctions are lifted we want to get there, it’s better we focus on domestic training programmes now,” said Mutekede.
He said it was Zifa’s mandate to hold courses despite being under Fifa sanctions.
“We are mandated to have these courses including the refresher courses that are being called illegal,” said Mutekede.
— @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter