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Phillip Chiyangwa

Sports Reporter
ZIFA are set to go a gear up and conduct their first CAF Pro Licence, which is now the highest qualification on the continent, in their bid to take coaches in the country to another level. Philip Chiyangwa, the ZIFA president, revealed this at the conclusion of the CAF A licence course at the ZIFA Village yesterday. “I am a disciple of knowledge acquisition and I can assure you that ZIFA will continue to strive to ensure that you and other local coaches stay abreast with other coaches on the continent,” said Chiyangwa.

“It is our dream to have excelling local coaches working with top clubs abroad. In that regard, before the year ends, we would have conducted our first CAF Pro Licence, a landmark which will make Zimbabwean coaches eligible to work anywhere on the globe.

“I must commend you for choosing the path of knowledge acquisition because modern trends of football place great emphasis on one’s eligibility to train others based on these qualifications.

“Your acquisition of advanced knowledge about the game we all love dovetails with our drive to revolutionise the local game so that we become competitive as a footballing nation.”

Chiyangwa said as part of meeting the club licensing requirements, educating the coaches remains one of their top priorities.

This year, the association have made it mandatory for all head coaches that will sit on the top-flight benches to have the CAF A licence.

“At a time when we (ZIFA) are slowly but effectively enforcing club licensing dictates, educating the coaches becomes key because we have advised your employers of minimum requirements for all coaches as of the upcoming season going forward.

“We do not want to leave anything to chance anymore, hence coaches’ qualifications across all levels of football are now standardised.

“It is a CAF requirement and we are going to judiciously apply it too because we believe it is the best way to develop our football,” said Chiyangwa.

Thirty two coaches took part in the month-long course, which was divided into two modules.

The coaches that fail to attain a pass mark in this course will be further assessed by the CAF instructors before they are certified.

CAF instructor and assessor Frans Mogashoa says Zimbabwe football will rise if the association continues to invest in qualified personnel from the grassroots up to top-flight football.

The South African instructor was here for the CAF A licence and worked with course director Nelson Matongorere and outgoing ZIFA technical director Taurai Mangwiro.

“Zimbabwe is one of the countries with lots of experienced instructors, Nelson (Matongorere), Gibson (Homela) and Taurai (Mangwiro), himself the technical director, you can see that they did a lot of work.

“And the willingness to learn by the coaches themselves was a plus factor because everybody is aware that if Zimbabwe has to rise in football terms, you will need quality coaching.

“Club licensing systems is one of the best things to ever happen to African football because in the past we had people who wanted to coach but they had no coaching courses.

“And we have got those who were coaching at the highest level but their qualifications did not meet such levels.

“Now both the federation and the coach must come to the party,” he said.

Participants

Kifton Kadurira, Sithetheliwe Sibanda, Garthly Chipuka, Darlington Dodo, Charles Rwodzi, Newsome Mtema, Prince Matore, Stanford Mutizwa, Emmanuel Gutu, Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, Celestino Paul Benza, Mark Mathe, Tarisai Kaseke, Amini Soma Phiri, Bekithemba Ndlovu, Alexio Sigion, Ikabort Masocha, Michael Madzivanyika, Joseph Takaringofa, Rodwell Dhlakama, Lloyd Chigove, Lloyd Chitembwe, Farai Tawachera, James Matola, Genesis Mangombe, Daniel Chimedza, Takesure Chiragwi, Spencer Banda, Philemon Mutyakureva.