First Step Complete as Historic CAF A Course Closes Opening Module

The first module of Zimbabwe’s historic CAF A Licence Coaching Course has come to an end, completing an intensive opening phase that has combined classroom learning, practical work and the exchange of ideas among some of the country’s leading coaches.

The course, hosted by the Zimbabwe Football Association, marked the return of CAF A coach education to the country for the first time since 2017 and represents another major step in ZIFA’s drive to strengthen the technical foundations of Zimbabwean football.

Over the course of the opening module, participants were put through a demanding programme of theory and practical sessions designed to deepen their understanding of the modern game and sharpen their ability to apply advanced coaching principles in their respective environments.

The class brings together 25 coaches drawn from the Premier Soccer League, lower divisions, academies and development structures, as well as participants working beyond Zimbabwe’s borders.

Among them are TelOne FC Head Coach Joel Luphahla and Scottland FC Assistant Coach Daniel Vheremu, who also serves as the class captain. Other participants represent clubs including Hwange FC, Chicken Inn, Dynamos, Triangle United, Hardrock FC, Blanket Mine FC, Shamva Mine FC, Tenax CS FC and the FC Platinum Under-19 set-up.

There is also international representation through coaches attached to Kruger FC in South Africa and Jumulo FC in Zambia, giving the class a diverse mix of experiences and football backgrounds.

For Luphahla, the first module has underlined the importance of continued learning even for coaches already working at senior level.

“The game keeps changing and, as coaches, we also have to keep developing,” he said. “This module has challenged us to look at different aspects of our work in greater detail. The important thing now is to take what we are learning here and apply it in our teams and with our players.”

The CAF A Licence is the highest coaching qualification currently applicable within Zimbabwe’s domestic Premier Soccer League environment and is also an important requirement for coaches working at senior level in CAF competitions.

Its return is therefore significant not only for the current class, but for the wider development of the local game.

Zimbabwe is now fully compliant with the technical requirements of the CAF Coaching Convention necessary to host the full coaching pathway from CAF D through to CAF A. The achievement gives local coaches a clearer route through the different levels of formal coach education and reduces the need to seek advanced qualifications outside the country.

Vheremu said the intensity of the first module had given participants plenty to reflect on ahead of the next phase of the programme.

“It has been demanding, but that is exactly what you expect at CAF A level,” said Vheremu. “There has been a lot of learning, discussion and sharing of experiences within the group. As coaches, we all want to improve, and ultimately that improvement has to be seen in the players and teams we work with.”

The course forms part of a broader ZIFA commitment to rebuilding coach education and creating a sustainable pathway for coaches at every level of the Zimbabwean game.

The Association has placed technical development among its priorities, built around the belief that improving the quality of coaching will have a direct impact on player development, club football and, ultimately, the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s national teams.

The first module may now be complete, but the journey towards the CAF A qualification continues.

For the participants, the challenge will be to build on the foundations laid during this opening phase, continue engaging with the course material and translate the knowledge gained into their everyday coaching environments.

For Zimbabwean football, the bigger significance lies in what the course represents: the restoration of an important development pathway and another step towards creating a stronger coaching culture.

After a nine-year wait for CAF A to return to Zimbabwe, the focus is now firmly on ensuring that this new chapter produces lasting results — better-equipped coaches, better-developed players and, in time, stronger Zimbabwean teams.

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