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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
Zifa have to first sign a convention agreeing to abide by Caf’s demands for reforms meant to provide quality coaching programmes in order for local coaches to benefit from the next continental coaching clinics.

A number of Zimbabwean coaches are desperately waiting for the continental body to resume high level Caf licence coaching clinics, including the Caf A badge which enables one to sit in the dugout for Premiership games.

Wilson Mutekede, the Zifa technical director, said Caf advised them that the programmes will resume after signing of pacts by football associations as well as training of Caf instructors.

“The first port of call on Caf licensing is the finalisation of conventions by Caf and member associations. Each country is supposed to meet certain standards to credibly host the courses, which include agreeing to number of hours and all procedures to examine coaches that are under the revised Caf coaching programmes,” said Mutekede.

He said once the Zifa executive committee agrees to the new Caf requirements and sign the convention, he will apply online for the Caf courses while waiting for the instructors to go for their refresher programme, which should be between the end of February and early March.

Zimbabwe has four Caf certified instructors, Triangle United coach Tawurayi Mangwiro, Nelson Matongorere from Caps United, former Zifa technical director Maxwell Jongwe and Mutekede.

Mutekede said coaches intending to sit for Caf courses should start applying to the national association, which will in turn attach the list to the continental body in its application for the programmes.

Unlike in the past when Zifa chose coaches to participate in Caf courses, the continental body will now shortlist participants using CVs that would have been attached.

Zimbabwe last held a Caf A course in January, 2017, the same year that standardisation of coaches was implemented, affecting a number of Caf B badge holders as they could no longer coach in the Premiership.

Standardisation of coaches meant that Premiership gaffers and their trainers had to be in possession of a Caf A badge, with a Caf B licence being a minimum requirement for First Division coaches.

Division One assistant coaches are required to be holders of a Caf C or Zifa Level Four licence.

In the Second Division, a coach should have a Caf C licence while his understudies are required to have a Level Three qualification as a minimum standard.

The coaching standards also cascaded down to Division Three, tertiary institutions and schools.

For secondary schools, a Zifa Level Two badge became mandatory and primary school football coaches were expected to have at least a Level Two certificate.

— @ZililoR