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Thulani Sibanda

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
WOMEN’S football in the region has improved, with a sizable number of countries relying on team work more than individual talent, the Cosafa Women’s Championship technical study group (TSG) has noted.

Local coaches, Try Ncube and Thulani Sibanda have been roped into the Cosafa Women’s Championship TSG led by Fifa and Caf instructors.

The duo is part of the TSG led by Fifa instructor and former Namibia national women’s team coach Jacqueline Chipanga and South African Caf instructor Zunaig Mall.

Wilson Mutekede, the Zifa technical director, said in its analysis of group matches that ended yesterday, the TSG noted that there was an improvement in women’s soccer.

“On the technical comprehensive side, when you look at teams like Zambia, South Africa and Kenya, they play more as a team, while some sides rely more on individuals.

“Zimbabwe also tries to play more as a team, but they tend to be individualistic and we saw that when the Mighty Warriors drew 3-3 against Malawi on Sunday. Their play relied more on Rutendo Makore and that somehow cost them the game,” said Mutekede.

“There is general improvement in the women’s game; you look at countries like Swaziland and Namibia, they have improved. Mauritius look like they’ve just started their journey in women’s football.

“The TSG has also noted that a systematic approach to the women’s game has improved compared to yesteryear.

“Players have vastly improved, you can see the individual talent, understanding of football basics and players no longer fall easily like they used to do. They are comfortable on the ball,” he said.

He hoped the presence of Ncube, who is in the books of Premiership side Bulawayo City, and Bulawayo Chiefs head coach Thulani Sibanda’s presence in the TSG will improve their ability to analyse games.

Mutekede believes the duo will impart their experience to local coaches after the tournament ends on Saturday.

“Their role at the tournament is to analyse playing trends, capturing statistical issues, which is goals, top scorers playing patterns, formations, cautions and expulsion of players. As a team, they are also responsible for picking the player of the match.

“Match analysis is part of the content for our training programmes and being able to analyse how the game is played, how teams face each other and react to different scenarios will also help these individuals develop as coaches,” Mutekede said.

Ncube is a Caf B coaching certificate holder, working towards getting the Caf A licence, while Sibanda boasts of a Caf B, a Scottish C licence and will soon graduate with a Sports Science degree at the National University of Science and Technology.

@ZililoR