THE Confederation of African Football have questioned ZIFA’s standing in holding the Elite Coaches refresher course aimed at validating CAF A coaching licences.
The association hosted over 40 coaches in Harare for the five-day course that ended on Sunday. But questions have been asked over ZIFA’s capacity to hold the course that comes under the auspices of both FIFA and CAF when the association has been suspended from football by the international body.
CAF are yet to release an official position but an insider at CAF headquarters yesterday told The Herald the continental football mother body has not given its blessings.
ZIFA were stripped of all its rights and benefits by FIFA following the indefinite suspension of the association pronounced by the global football mother body last year in February.
A CAF insider yesterday told The Herald that the superiors at CAF had not given their blessings to the course. In fact, CAF are not even aware of the developments.
The insider even suggested the course may not be valid since the FIFA suspension also prohibits Zimbabwe from accessing development programmes like coach education that falls under CAF and FIFA. This was expressly stated in the letter of suspension to ZIFA by FIFA on February 24, last year.
“Consequently, and in accordance with article 13 of the FIFA Statutes, ZIFA loses all its membership rights as of 24 February 2022 until further notice.
“ZIFA representative and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to take part in international competitions until the suspension is lifted.
“This also means that neither the ZIFA nor any of its members or officials may benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and/or CAF,” read the FIFA letter of suspension. The CAF official questioned where ZIFA got the authority to go ahead with the course. The association invited CAF and FIFA instructor Honour Janza of Zambia to conduct the course.
The Elite Coaches refresher course was long overdue in Zimbabwe who last held a CAF A coaching course in 2017. According to the CAF conventions, the CAF A coaching licence is valid for three years, after the year of issue or renewal.
The badge is renewed for a further three years if its holder has completed a refresher course organised by a Convention Member.
“The validity of a CAF coaching licence is subject to the licence holder undertaking to adhere to the statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of CAF and the Convention Member that issued the licence in question,” reads part of the convention.
This then means all the Zimbabwean CAF A holders could be sitting on expired badges since the course was last held in the country six years ago. The coaches will not be allowed to sit on the bench when international football returns under the CAF coaching convention, which seeks to raise the quality of coaches in Africa through professional training.
However, ZIFA Technical Director Wilson Mutekede defended their actions in holding the refresher course last week.
Mutekede said they will continue with refresher coaches’ courses and certification of local football trainers arguing that FIFA and CAF did not ban Zimbabweans from acquiring football knowledge when they suspended the country from all international football activities last year.
“The fact that we had a CAF/FIFA instructor means we are not doing something that is not correct. Like we said, the process of learning is an on-going process and CAF and FIFA have not stopped that.
“We are on a temporary suspension where we have to amend what they want us to amend. But when it comes to capacity building, this should be on-going.
“To be honest with you, this is also news to them that they (CAF) would be happy to hear that in Zimbabwe the product of football is still alive. CAF and FIFA are not that ruthless in wanting to kill the game in the country. That’s not the intention.
“We have issues that must be sorted out but not to kill the game in Zimbabwe. They are just like a parent who when a child makes a mistake they can mete out a little bit of punishment but they will never kill their child.
“So this is exactly the situation. We are a technical arm of the game and we are not involved in that side of things, of politics. In terms of the technical arm of the game, the game must continue to be taught so that when the restrictions are removed we are going to add value in the family of football, which is the FIFA and CAF family,” said Mutekede. He added ZIFA are currently seized with organising more refresher courses for CAF B and CAF C coaching holders. The Elite Coaches refresher course came just a week after ZIFA had held a goalkeepers’ trainers course. – The Herald
