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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THERE would be no football in Zimbabwe if the Caf club licensing handbook was strictly enforced, Zifa has said.

The national association said Caf club licensing has a lot of requirements, which very few clubs in Zimbabwe have met such that a localised club licensing handbook had to be adopted.

Zifa executive committee member and chairman of the technical and development committee Bryton Malandule revealed this while explaining their decision to clear Portuguese Nilton Terroso to work in the country as Bulawayo Chiefs’ head coach despite him only having a Uefa A coaching badge.

He said there were no underhand dealings, as most people have been suggesting.

“We know that Uefa A and Caf A are similar and we are fully aware that Caf requires that foreigners must have a Uefa Pro licence or better in terms of club licensing (to work on the continent). However, as a country we cannot fully adhere to the handbook to the core otherwise we may not have any football,” said Malandule.

He said football fans should not compare Terroso’s matter with that of former Highlanders and FC Platinum coach Pieter de Jongh, who was barred from sitting on the bench for the platinum miners’ Caf Champions League matches.

“De Jongh’s issue was in adherence to Caf club licensing. Caf makes it clear that coaches must have a Caf A badge or Uefa Pro; those are mandatory. There are a lot of other requirements under the handbook and this is why FC Platinum were also barred from using Mandava Stadium. Caf follows their handbook to the core, but as a nation we are still far from fully meeting all the requirements, which then gives us as Zifa the leeway to have discretion on certain aspects as long as it helps the game and it’s beneficial to the nation,” Malandule said.

Terroso arrived in Bulawayo last week and has already started work with the ambitious Ninjas.

His first assignment will be Chiefs’ last Chibuku Super Cup Group B game against Chicken Inn at Barbourfields Stadium next weekend.