The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WHILE the four teams promoted to the Premier Soccer League from the Zifa regional leagues are busy celebrating their achievements, three of them are faced with quandary relating to their coaches.
Three of the coaches that got their teams promoted to the PSL do not have the Caf A coaching qualification that is required by Zifa for them to carry out their duties in the country’s top flight league. Bulawayo City’s Try Ncube, Luke Jukulile Petros of WhaWha and Tenax coach Blessing Madombi do not possess the qualification required for them to coach their teams next season. Only Nesbert Saruchera of Cranborne Bullets has Caf A.
Bulawayo City chairman, Jerry Sibanda said they will be approaching Zifa to try and get Ncube exempted. The Amakhosi coach has a Caf B obtained in 2016 and he was not eligible to attend the Caf A held in early 2017, the last such course held in Zimbabwe. Ncube is assisted by Goldin Dube and Johannes Ngodzo who also do not have Caf A.
“We will try and keep him (Try Ncube) on request, so we are approaching Zifa to ask them to give him an exemption,’’ Sibanda said.
Stefan Masina, the Tenax chairman indicated that Madombi, who has been with the Mutare-based team for over half a decade only has a Zifa level four. Masina said their wish was to keep their coach and will do everything to achieve that.
“We will sit down as an executive and plan the way forward, we need him at all costs, he has been with us for close to six years,’’ Masina said.
Former Highlanders coach, Bongani Mafu feels that Zifa should put aside their Caf A requirement until such a time that they are able to offer such courses. His view is that this is unfair seeing that these coaches without Caf A now have to relinquish their posts and pave way for those with the requisite qualifications.
“I personally think that the Caf A ruling should be put aside until Caf courses are resumed. It is highly unsupportive of hard working young enthusiastic coaches who plan a whole season’s periodisation programme and come tops in their leagues then go and assist someone who has most probably been jobless and out of practice,’’ Mafu said.
To Mafu, those with Caf A certificates actually need to review their previous studies so as to be up to date with the latest trends in the game.
“In fact, most of these Caf A guys also need refresher courses by now. For a guy like say Try Ncube to miss out again would be diabolical, that is my humble opinion.”
Zifa this year exempted Bulawayo Chiefs coach Thulani Sibanda who does not have a Caf A to carry out his duties. It is understood that Sibanda was given the green light because he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Science and Coaching from the National University of Science and Technology.
According to information obtained from Zifa, 75 Zimbabwean coaches have Caf A. Some of those with this qualification who are unemployed at the moment are Philani “Beefy” Ncube, Jairos Tapera, Joseph Sibindi, Mebelo Njekwa, Farai Tawachera, Tavaka Gumbo, Luke Masomere and Bigboy Mawiwi.
This means that if Zifa do not exempt those who got the teams elevated, the ones with the qualifications would be queuing to take up the coaching posts.
