The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
ASPIRING local coaches will benefit from a Youth Coaching Course that will run concurrently with the Africa Union Sports Council Region Five under-20 Youth Games next month.The course is the brain child of the Council of Southern African Football Associations and Fifa. It would be open to male and female coaches from across the country.
In a statement, the regional body said the course was meant to extend the learning experiences of young coaches.
The Games will run from 5 to 14 December in Bulawayo.
Confirming the development Cosafa’s chief operating officer Sue Destombes said the instructors and participants will use some of the 30 football matches at the Region Five Games as part of their practical work during the course.
Destombes said the two tournaments will also give Cosafa the chance to provide experience to upcoming male and female referees from around the Southern African region, revealing there will be 22 match officials (nine female and 13 male) who will gain their first international experience at the Games.
“Cosafa will organise the Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s competitions at the AUSC Region Five Youth Games. The junior events will go a long way towards the development of young players in the region and are seen as stepping-stones to a professional career, a path through which many top names from the region have already passed.
“Many internationals in the current squads of Cosafa nations have come through this event in the early part of their careers,” said Destombes.
