Female Football Coaches Back At School

Some 30 coaches of national teams and clubs are undergoing a five-day training facilitated by a FIFA instructor.

In order to build their capacity and boost the development of female football in Cameroon, some 30 coaches and five auditors are currently undergoing a five-day training at the Hotel des deputes in Yaounde. The high level course jointly sponsored by FIFA and FECAFOOT, comes o the heels of similar training offered by FIFA for the intermediary level. The courses begin from the basic to the intermediary and high level.

Speaking during the opening ceremony at the Hotel Le depute yesterday, the President of the FECAFOOT Normalisation Committee, Joseph Owona, expressed gratitude to FIFA for the concern shown towards the development of football in Cameroon in general and feminine football in particular. The training, he said was timely as it comes at a time when Cameroon has been chosen to host the 2016 edition of the feminine Africa Cup of Nations.

The training, he said, falls within the framework of the policy of the development of football as elaborated by the National Technical Directorate. He urged the coaches to come up with what he referred to as "Cameroon's way of play" and to work towards qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, promising to accompany the coaches in the process.

The first National technical director, Manga Onguene disclosed that over 75 per cent of the coaches undergoing the present course, took part in the intermediary course earlier. He equally promised the assistance of his organ to make sure the workshop is successful.

Presenting the courses to be offered during the training course, the FIFA instructor, Algerian-born Azzedine Chih, said the course to comprise theoretical and practical sessions, will be participative and dwell on issues such as the construction of a team, management of a feminine football team, characteristics of development and training of female footballers, prevention of injuries, warm-up and training sessions among other things.

He disclosed that there was significant progress in feminine football with over 29 million players in the world. Also present during the opening ceremony, was the FIFA chief of bureau for development for central Africa and the CAF officer in charge of education. The training ends on Saturday, October 26, 2013.