All-Women CAF C Coaching Course Expands Focus to Sports Medicine

The second module of the All-Women CAF C Coaching Course is underway at ZIFA Village, with participants continuing to broaden their knowledge beyond the technical and tactical aspects of the game.

Supported by FIFA as part of efforts to increase the number of qualified female coaches in football, the course is designed to equip participants with the competencies required to develop players and contribute to the continued growth of the women’s game in Zimbabwe.

One of the key areas covered during the ongoing second module is Sports Medicine, with Dr Margaret Maulana taking participants through a comprehensive programme focused on player health, welfare and performance.

The sessions have explored exercise health, nutrition and hydration, highlighting the important role coaches play in ensuring players are physically prepared for the demands of training and competition. Participants have also been taken through common football injuries and injury-prevention strategies, providing them with practical knowledge to help reduce injury risks within their teams.

Other important areas covered include doping control and mental health, reinforcing the increasingly holistic role of the modern football coach.

Particular attention has also been given to female health and performance, an important component for coaches working within the women’s game. The sessions have highlighted the need for coaches to better understand the specific physiological considerations that can influence the health, wellbeing, training and performance of female players.

Dr Maulana said sports medicine knowledge was an essential part of developing coaches who are equipped to look after players as people as well as athletes.

“Coaching is not only about tactics, formations and what happens with the ball. Coaches have a responsibility to understand the health and wellbeing of their players because these have a direct impact on performance,” said Dr Maulana.

“For coaches working with female players, it is particularly important to understand female health and the factors that can affect training and performance. When coaches have the right knowledge around nutrition, hydration, injury prevention, mental health and other areas of player welfare, they are better equipped to create environments in which players can perform and develop safely.”

The Sports Medicine module forms part of a broader curriculum aimed at producing knowledgeable, competent and well-rounded coaches capable of meeting the evolving demands of the modern game.

The All-Women CAF C Coaching Course also represents an important investment in Zimbabwe’s female coaching pathway, creating opportunities for more women to gain recognised qualifications and take up technical roles at different levels of the game.

Through continued investment in coach education, ZIFA is seeking to strengthen the technical foundations of women’s football while building a larger pool of qualified female coaches who can contribute to the development of the next generation of players.

The second module continues at ZIFA Village with further theoretical and practical sessions forming part of the participants’ journey towards attaining their CAF C coaching qualification.

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