Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has revived the CAF A Licence Coaching Course, with the elite coach education programme now underway in Harare after a nine-year absence from the country.
The return of the course, last held in Zimbabwe in 2017, forms part of ZIFA’s renewed focus on strengthening coach development and improving the technical standards of football at all levels.
A total of 25 coaches drawn from across the domestic football landscape are taking part in the programme. The class includes coaches from Premier Soccer League clubs, lower-division sides, academies and various player development structures.
Officially opening the course, ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi said bringing back the programme was an important milestone in efforts to improve the technical foundations of Zimbabwean football.
Magwizi said the initiative should not be viewed simply as another coaching course, but as part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of the game, arguing that better-trained coaches would contribute to stronger players, clubs and national teams.
“The CAF A Licence is the highest coaching qualification currently available within Zimbabwe’s domestic Premier Soccer League environment and is a critical qualification for coaches seeking to operate at senior level in CAF competitions,” he said.
He added that the qualification also plays an important role in helping coaches and clubs meet key CAF Club Licensing requirements, making the programme significant both for individual career development and the wider football system.
According to Magwizi, successfully hosting the course is also evidence of an important technical achievement for ZIFA, which is now fully compliant with the CAF Coaching Convention requirements needed to deliver the complete CAF coaching pathway.
The compliance allows the association to provide coaching education across the various levels, from CAF D through to the top-level CAF A Licence, creating a more structured route for coaches seeking to advance their qualifications.
ZIFA general secretary, Yvonne Manwa said the return of the programme demonstrates the association’s intention to rebuild sustainable systems for long-term football development.
Manwa stressed that coaching education should become a continuous process, giving Zimbabwean coaches regular opportunities to upgrade their qualifications rather than forcing them to wait several years before programmes of this level are offered.
“We want coach education to be continuous and structured. Our coaches must have a clear pathway to improve their qualifications without having to wait many years for opportunities at this level,” she said.
She said the latest course was a sign of progress, while cautioning that ZIFA now has a responsibility to ensure that the structures being rebuilt are maintained and developed over time.
The current class brings together coaches with experience from different tiers of Zimbabwean football, providing a broad representation of the domestic game.
Scottland FC have two representatives in assistant coach and class captain Daniel Vheremu and fellow coach Danger Fourpence, while other PSL clubs are represented by Naison Mchekela of Chicken Inn, Joel Luphahla of TelOne and Tonderai Marume of Triangle United.
The participants also include Njabulo Dube of Hwange FC, Isaac Nyabvure of Hardrock FC, Luke Jukulile of Blanket Mine FC, Ralph Kanondera of Shamva Mine FC and Joseph Berekerei from the FC Platinum Under-19 set-up.
The resumption of the CAF A Licence programme is expected to provide Zimbabwean coaches with a much-needed opportunity to strengthen their technical knowledge while contributing to the association’s wider efforts to establish a sustainable and progressive coaching development system.
New Ziana
