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Sports Reporter

IN a bid to satisfy one of the requirements of club licensing system, ZIFA have kicked off a marathon of coaching courses to empower local mentors starting with a CAF C licence next week.ZIFA will early next year also host a CAF A course.

On Monday, 30 coaches wishing to enrol for a CAF C licence which is the minimum CAF coaching badge will converge in Kwekwe for a two-week course.

The course is being run by ZIFA in co-ordination with CAF.CAF instructor Nelson Matongorere is the course’s instructor while ZIFA technical advisor Taurai Mangwiro will assess the programme.

Another course, a ZIFA level two coaching course will get underway in Harare next week and will be instructed by CAF instructors Gibson Homela and Wilson Mutekede.

ZIFA will cap the year with CAF B licence and the course will be conducted in Bulawayo from mid-November up to early December.The association early next year, will conduct CAF A, the highest level coaching badge in Africa with the modules divided into parts with the first module beginning in January while the last module will be held at the end of February.

From next year, coaches who sit on the bench of top flight matches are required to have a CAF A licence and ZIFA have moved in to ensure coaches wishing to advance themselves manage to beat the deadline before the season starts.

However, there has been an outcry over the participation fees for the CAF A licence, which have been pegged at $1 200 by the association.Zimbabwe Coaches Union have pleaded with ZIFA to review the fees arguing that most of the coaches cannot afford such high charges.

Through their secretary-general Newsome Mutema, the Union engaged ZIFA technical director Mangwiro over the matter.

“ZIFA should ensure the course fees are affordable when running coaching programmes so that many are not disadvantaged given the prevailing economic situation in the land,” said Mutema.

Yesterday, ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said they will publish all the charges for the coaching courses next week and refused to comment on whether they have reviewed the prohibitive fees.