Abuja – Participants at the just-concluded B-License Coaching Course organised by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and Confederation of Africa Football (CAF), have called for the full implementation of CAF club licensing provisions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CAF expects Premier League clubs in Africa to attain some level of international standard in the area of infrastructure, administration and personnel as well as finance.
The clubs must also have a viable legal department; clubs must have a solid structure for players’ welfare including a minimum of B-License for coaches in the premier league.
These conditions are to be implemented by 2016.
Imama Amapakabo, Coach of Rangers Int’l Football Club of Enugu, who is one of the participants, urged NFF to ensure that the club licensing provisions were implemented to the letter.
“It’s a plus to the NFF that it was able to organise this course for coaches; I think it’s going to help our league very much but most importantly, let them deliver on their policies.
“If they say it’s only the CAF B-License holders that will be coaching in the premier league that will be nice.
“There should be some sort of standard for our league and not everybody that says he is a coach should be allowed to coach a team,’’ Amapakabo said.
According to him, the course has broadened the knowledge of the participants especially as it concerns managing a professional football club.
He said: “I think it’s good for the league because most coaches have been made to understand a lot of things they were doing that they never knew how to do.
“That you have a degree in a particular sphere does not make you more knowledgeable, but more intelligent; intelligence helps you know how to put things in proper perspective.
“I see knowledge as a locker that has drawers that you must be able to know where your boxers and shirts are going to be.
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Another participant, Adanna Nwaneri, called for the implementation of the club licensing to encourage professionalism in coaching.
Nwaneri, who is the Coach of FCT Women Football League team, Capital City Dove and the only female participant, urged clubs in the country to always go for the services of professional coaches.
This, she said would enable the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to grow beyond its present level.
“I believe that CAF is going to implement it in Nigeria with the help of NFF; I heard that anybody without the B-License will not be allowed to coach the Premier League again.
“The requirement for pro leagues will be C-License.
“As such, any club management that wants to give contract to any coach should chose from those that have B-License because they have learnt a lot and they will surely impact it on the players’’, she said.
Nwaneri urged football fans in the country to give local coaches a chance to develop; adding that there was nothing different between a foreign coach and a local coach provided the knowledge was acquired.
NAN reports that the two-week long programme which started on Nov. 19 had about 79 Nigerian coaches in attendance.
Among the instructors were former FIFA instructor Adegboye Onigbinde, former NFF Assistant Secretary James Peters and NFF Technical Director, Shuaibu Amodu.
Wikki Tourists coach Abdul Maikaba, former Sunshine Stars coach Kennedy Boboye, ex-Mighty Jets coach Bernard Ogbe.
Others are FC Taraba coach Ndubuisi Nduka and ex-international Friday Ekpo, were some of the notable names that participated in the course. (NAN)