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Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau

LOCAL Premiership football coaches have gone for a lengthy period without attending any refresher courses to keep abreast with modern developments in the game and they hope the trend changes next year.

That Zifa haven’t been able to host Caf training hasn’t helped matters as most found themselves in the cold as they aren’t holders of the requisite Caf A badge needed for one to coach in the top-flight.

But, for now, the coaches will be relaxed, enjoying Christianity’s biggest calendar day, Christmas tomorrow.

For Dynamos coach, Tonderai Ndiraya, who adopted a messy team from Lloyd Chigowe at the beginning of the just-ended season and managed to stabilise the ship, there is real need for him to attend, at least some refresher courses locally or abroad.

He says tomorrow is a working Christmas considering he will be plotting how best he can group a good team which can challenge for honours next season.

“I will be home and will have time with family but it will be a working Christmas. Plans are at an advanced stage to go and get more football knowledge,” said Ndiraya.

But Ndiraya is one of a number of Zimbabwean coaches who have been invited by Germany’s Berlin Football Association to attend an international coaching course from January 27 to February 7, 2020.

The 12-day course will be conducted by some of Germany’s top football instructors and Ndiraya said it is one of the refresher courses that he is considering attending, funds permitting.

Jan Scharlowsky, the head of the Berlin Football Association, in his invitation letter to Zimbabwean coaches sent two weeks ago, indicated the coaches will receive a certificate from his association upon successful participation.

A number of Zimbabwean coaches have been invited to attend this coaching course and they include Ndiraya, Black Rhinos’ Herbert Maruwa, Tonderayi Marume and UK-based junior football coach Phillip Zulu.

The Berlin Football Association have named Zulu as one of the course’s co-ordinators and the UK-based mentor confirmed to The Herald recently that he will be “part and parcel” of this coaching seminar.

Zulu said this course is “definitely” a good opportunity for aspiring and practising coaches who intend to raise the bar in terms of their educational experience.

And it will be interesting to see how many Zimbabwean coaches will accept this invitation to go and hone their coaching skills in Germany towards the end of next month.

Meanwhile, Triangle made their debut in the Caf Confederation Cup and gaffer Taurai Mangwiro travelled thousands of kilometres during his team’s African Safari this year and he won’t be travelling to the capital this holiday.

Instead his family together with his mother have made the trip to Triangle where the former Harare City coach intends to move them around as part of Christmas Day activities.

“I have invited my family to Triangle along with my mother. I will just take them around to the beautiful places in the area and it would be refreshing considering that I have had a lot of travel with the team and that my family does not stay with me, the off-season does present me with a chance to be with them as it coincides with school holidays. It is, however, the busiest period for me in terms of planning.

“I am still working on going for refresher courses or attachments but there is surely need for that,” said Mangwiro, who got some of his coaching badges in Germany in 2011.

Herentals’ Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva conjured up some final-day-of-the-season magic when he masterminded a 1-0 win over Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve, just enough for his charges to survive the dreaded chop and he needs some time off the madding city crowd.

As he has always done consistently for the past years, Mutiwekuziva has retreated back to his rural home in Nyanga where he will have time with family and friends.

“I am travelling with my family to my rural home in Nyanga. We will spend time with family and my parents as well as friends. If any course comes up, I will definitely go for it to improve my football knowledge. It’s my wish but nothing is available yet.”

Rodwell Dhlakama, who has just landed the coaching job at Ngezi Platinum on a substantive basis, is keen to improve his technical knowledge and will be keen to attend some refresher courses next year.

He will, however, be going out with his wife tomorrow.

“I think it is time for us to recharge the batteries. It is time to relax. We are going out with my family just to have fun, just a few drinks but not beer. Then we will go back home.

“On (refresher) courses we are not aware of which ones will be available. For the past few years there were no courses in the country but we look forward to have some just to refresh. If there are no courses in Zimbabwe, we will consider those outside the country just to broaden our knowledge,” said Dhlakama.

Yadah’s miraculous survival remains one of the most intriguing stories in recent years of the Premiership.

Their coach Genesis Mangombe, who at one point announced his departure after a 0-2 defeat to TelOne at the National Sports Stadium is still celebrating that grand feat and he will take time to refresh with his family tomorrow.

“It was a tough year for us as a team. As for me, my special thanks goes to my Yadah president, Prophet Walter Magaya who supported me throughout hard times. I will spend the better part of Christmas Day with my family refreshing and having some fun. We are travelling to the rural areas to meet some relatives and share what we experienced during the year.

“We definitely need to improve next season,” said Mangombe.

Champions FC Platinum play Egyptian giants Al-Ahly on December 28 and coach Lizwe Sweswe has no choice than to concentrate his efforts on improving his team while others enjoy Christmas.

For CAPS United coach Darlington Dodo, who failed to keep the momentum for the Green Machine to win the league in the last two games, he said he will rather be concerned on whether he will keep his job at the Harare giants rather than sharing what his plans are.