A total of 25 elite coaches have embarked on their Confederation of African Football (CAF) ‘A’ coaching course journey.
This coaching course represents the second-highest level of certification offered by the CAF, with the prestigious CAF Pro Licence standing as the highest attainable certification on the continent.
Among the coaches who are part of the course are Harambee Starlets’ coach Beldine Odemba, Ulinzi Star’s coach Anthony Kimani, assistant Posta Ranger’s coach Bernad Kawinzi, and CAF instructor Jackline Juma, among others.
The course is part of the Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) initiative to ensure that there are more qualified coaches handling teams from the grassroots to the professional level.
“We made the decision that the best teacher is the one who is educated, and that is why we have invested so much in coaching, refereeing, administrators, and instructor courses. By now, you can see all instructors are Kenyan, and they have been trained through FKF,” said FKF Vice President Doris Petra.
She said that what makes this occasion even more significant is that this marks the first CAF licencing course to be offered since the current administration assumed office. This coaching pathway comes full circle for these coaches as they all begin their journey together at the CAF ‘D’ level.
Anthony Kimani, reflecting on this progression, expressed, “I am part of the few coaches who have come up through the ranks and to follow the pathway that has been laid down by CAF. I started with my CAF ‘D’, went to CAF ‘C’, then ‘B’, and now I have the opportunity to do CAF ‘A’.”
The FKF partnership with the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA) has played a key role in ensuring the elevation of football in the country through combined efforts and shared vision.
“If the FKF is empowering players and having those activities that can empower players and make coaches grow can make the game grow as KEFWA, we can give this 100% support, and I believe we are heading in the right direction,” remarked the KEFWA president, James Situma.
The course is under the tutelage of Coaches Salim Ali and Francis Kimanzi and will run for six months.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
