Coaches who attended the SAFA eMalahleni LFA C License course, with their leaders.
The eMalahleni Local Football Association, in partnership with Glencore, held its Confederation of African Football (CAF) C License coaching course at Witbank High School, which continues to make a difference in the football industry.
On August 28, the South African Football Association (SAFA) vice president, Linda Zwane, graced the course proceedings with his presence to address the coaches on a number of issues and to encourage and thank them for their participation.
“For South Africa to be great, we have to upskill our coaches and ensure that they have the required skills to train and develop the young players,” Linda said.
Adding that if a team has a well-equipped coach, it is guaranteed to have a proper player, and South African teams like Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana also stand to benefit.
“What is key to this is that we are not only focusing on benefitting one area, but we are also impacting the lives of many South Africans who are going to be lucky to be trained by these coaches,” the vice president said.
In the list of coaches who attended the course was James Mayinga, who is a former professional footballer who played for big teams like Sundowns and Swallows, and other coaches from eMalahleni and other regions in and outside the Mpumalanga province.
Since the inception of Glencore’s sponsorship in 2023, the SAFA eMalahleni LFA C License has successfully trained a total number of coaches exceeding 100, marking a significant milestone in the region’s football development journey.
Also, the impact of the initiative is already visible through the growing number of players signing professional contracts across the Motsepe Foundation Championship and the Premier Soccer League.
Linda commended everyone who contributed to the success of the course, including the school, for availing their facility for the project. Most importantly, he appreciated Glencore for providing the funds that made everything possible.
“We are happy, and we hope to continue with these programmes that touch lives in all settlements, be it rural, township, or urban,” Linda concluded.
News Editor at the Witbank News Caxton stable. Witbank News has been my ‘home’ for the past 24 years. Journalism is the ability to meet the challenge of filling the space true words said by Rebecca West. I meet challenges, get the better of them and fill space with true words.
