Coaches hail virtual course
VETERAN coach Arthur Tutani believes the inaugural virtual coaching course they recently had is inspirational and could usher Division One football into a new direction.
Tutani, a specialist in helping Division One clubs gain promotion into the top-flight, was eyeing the same feat with ambitious Shamva outfit — Simba Bhora — in the 2020 season.
The season, however, failed to kick-off owing to Covid-19. This did not stop the Northern Region Division One leadership from organising a virtual coaching course for all the 18 clubs. It was conducted by Irishman Alan Nixon and ended on Thursday. Tutani, who has previously seen duty at clubs such as Mwana Africa, Monomotapa, Sporting Lions and Eagles, reckons the coaching course was a game-changer for the country’s second-tier league.
“We learnt a lot in a short space of time. With this coronavirus, we thought there would be no chance to get together in a class. This course was an eye-opener. We have been lagging behind in areas such as talent identification, yet grassroots football is the feeder to the big teams,” said Tutani.
“I feel proud to belong to the Northern Region family because they are helping coaches to take our game to the next level.
“I will not only share what I have learnt with my club coaches but other coaches in Mashonaland Central. So it is not just Simba Bhora which is going to benefit because sharing is caring.
Former Highlanders and Warriors forward Joel Luphahla and Newsome Mutema, who has also worked with a number of clubs, agreed with Tutani’s observation.
“Alan Nixon is a seasoned instructor with a wealth of experience and it showed during the course. I was impressed by the assignments he gave us and the information he shared,” said Mutema. The coaches agreed that although they are CAF A licence holders, they need to keep abreast with the changing football trends.
“I believe what we went learnt will help us match some of the world’s top-class coaches like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp,” Mutema added.
Luphala chipped in saying football is more scientific now and coaches need to invest in that aspect and was grateful to AnzaEquip for facilitating the course.