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Norman Mapeza

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
FORMER Warriors coaches Norman Mapeza and Madinda Ndlovu have come together again but this time on a mission to try and attain a Confederation of African Football A-Licence badge at a course which is underway at the Zifa Village in Mt Hampden. Mapeza and Ndlovu had a short-lived stint as Warriors co-coaches in a comical set-up by Zifa that followed Belgian Tom Sainfiet’s botched appointment as the senior national team coach in October 2011.

When Saintfiet was sent packing by the immigration authorities, a divided Zifa board could not decide on who to hand the Warriors reins with Mapeza and Ndlovu being directed to act as co-coaches in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Cape Verde at the National Sports Stadium.

After years apart, Mapeza and Ndlovu were, however, back side by side this week not on the Warriors technical bench but in a classroom as they seek to attain the highest coaching badge offered by Caf on the continent.

The pair, together with returning Dynamos gaffer David “Yogi’’ Mandigora, headline the class of 16 coaches who are attending the course, the second such course to be staged in Zimbabwe after the initial one was held at the same venue in June-July this year.

Highly regarded Caf instructor, Dominic Niyonzima of Burundi, is once again conducting the course with the assistance of the pair of Zifa technical director Maxwell Takaendesa Jongwe and new Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro.

The other coaches that are in attendance include Triangle’s Biggie Zuze, who has been linked with the DeMbare assistant coach’s job, Nesbert “Yabo’’ Saruchera, who leads the technical department of Premiership newboys Flame Lily, little known Lizwe Sweswe of another new Premier League side Tsholotsho.

Dynamos assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya and the Harare giants’ juniors coach Herbert Maruva are also taking part in the course.

The second Caf A course also comes against the background of the high failure rate by local coaches in the initial course where a huge chunk of who took part could not secure the badge.

“Some didn’t pass the initial A-Licence and it is a Caf requirement that they be re-assessed the moment there is a Caf licence in their country,” said Jongwe.

“In assessing the coaches there’re others who might be found to be very weak when the assessment for the first module is done and if a candidate is way off the mark he or she will not be allowed to proceed but they’d have to re-start the exercise in another course.

“The course is demanding, it’s an elite course and Caf are very particular about who goes through that programme. We’re very lucky that we had Dominic coming back.

“We’re grateful to Caf for affording us a chance to run two A-Licence courses in a year. In this course we talk of coaches working on advanced tactics, team block, how to break away from that block and all the modern trends and advanced tactics being used in the game. Dominic will be here for 11 days and that should give the participants more time to work with him and understand what is required,’’ Jongwe said.

Jongwe said he was hopeful that the country would by the end of the current course in February have licensed at least 30 coaches.

The Zifa technical director also said they had asked the Premier Soccer League bosses to make it mandatory that all head coaches of the top clubs should be holders of this licence.

“We’ve already asked the PSL to ensure that anybody without this qualification shouldn’t be allowed to handle a PSL club with effect from 2015,’’ Jongwe said.