The Sunday News
SEVERAL Premier Soccer League players have started preparing for life out of the football pitch through acquiring coaching badges.
Highlanders striker, Njabulo “Tshiki’’ Ncube, Chicken Inn forward, Mkhokheli Dube, Bantu Rovers players, Sizalobuhle Dube and Obadiah Tarumbwa and Triangle player, David Sengu were part of the participants at a Zifa Level One Coaching Course held in Bulawayo last week.
The five were part of 19 participants who were taken through the course by Fifa-accredited instructor Gibson Homela who was assisted by Mighty Warriors under-23 coach Sithethelelwe Sibanda.
Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association Bulawayo Province secretary Marko Dube said the week-long course ended last Sunday.
Tshiki said he was looking to venturing into coaching after hanging his boots because of the love of the game.
“It would be folly for me to ignore the fact that I have grown old and I am in the twilight years of my playing career hence it’s important that I start earning my badges before I hang up my boots. I wouldn’t want to start attending the courses when I am no longer playing. It is better to start now,” he said.
However, the 32-year-old said he still had a lot to offer as a player, although an ankle injury has seen him being sidelined from action for the past three weeks.
Tshiki said his vision was to groom players in the same mould as he was groomed by various coaches that included the famed Ali “Baba” Dube.
Although saying that he had no intention of hanging up his boots any time soon, Mkhokeli added that he felt he had to start attaining coaching certificates.
“At 31, I feel I still have five to six years before I end my playing career and I am only doing the coaching courses because I have time on my side. I have really not planned to go into coaching once I am done playing but I would like to keep my options for the future open. If an opportunity comes up I would go into coaching,” he said.
Homela said it was encouraging to see the players embarking on steps to get their coaching badges before they retired from football, advising that one should start obtaining coaching badges as early as the age of 30 so that when they retire they would have attained most of the certificates.
“I think we should engage PSL clubs and come up with a special programme for their players who would have reached 30 to attend the coaching courses as this would ensure they can easily start coaching once they hang up their boots.
“I feel it would also impact better on them because they would be able to see what they learnt being applied while they are still playing which I think would make them better coaches,” he said.
Ncube, also turned out for Railstars and several Botswana clubs, Siza Dube, Mkhokheli Dube, Tarumbwa, who all at one point played for Highlanders, and Sengu, a former Caps United player, are all in the twilight years of their careers as they are in their early to mid 30s.
Other participants at the course included Bafa secretary Silas Sibanda, George Chirwa, Dumezweni Dlodlo, Anele Nyathi,
Farai Mapanzure, Bukhosi Ncube, Chengedza Casper, Jonathan Moyo, Mhlalisi Tshuma, Devison Mukwenya, Vincent Denhere, Patience Moyo who is the Fairbridge Sports Officer, Emmanuel Mukudu and Sports and Recreation Commission officer, Thubelihle Sibanda.
The course was held at Eveline High School and it was the fourth Level One course to be held in Bulawayo.
