Mponda tops coaching course

Former Flames captain Peter Mponda scored the highest in a FAM C Licence coaching course whose graduation took place at the BAT Ground  in Blantyre yesterday.

Southern Region Coaches Committee (SRCC) official Aubrey Nankhuni and his crew  hosted the graduation that saw Mponda emerging the best out of 55 coaches who passed the course that ran from December 3 to 13 2013 at Saint Andrews High School in Blantyre.

Two unnamed aspiring coaches flopped in the course which covered medicine, laws of the game, theory and practicals, with Eddington Ng’onamo, Rodgers Yasini, Trevor Kajawa, Karen Chawula and Abel Mkandawire among the tutors.

Little known Alinane Gobede was named the second best student followed by ex-Silver Strikers’ Mike Banda, Anderson Kamanga, James Sangala, Davie Tembo, Clement Kafwafwa, Arthur Nthala and Enos Chatama.

They  received certificates, mobile phone Sim cards and TNM branded T-shirts. One of the up-and-coming coaches, Samuel Kandeya, described the course as an eye opener.

“I want to become like Sir Alex Ferguson one day. I am aiming high and I will impart this knowledge to my team Katsekela Medicals Youth in Ntcheu,” said Kandeya.

Guest of honour Gomezgani Zakazaka, who is FAM promotions and competitions officer, and Ng’onamo urged the participants to make use of the qualification and start from the grass roots coaching youth teams instead of rushing for Super League jobs.

Ng’onamo said the course covered basics of the game which need to be imparted to young players and ease the burden national team coaches have in drilling players.

The former Flames and Big Bullets coach urged the participants not to turn the certificates into mere “flowers that would be gathering dust in homes.”

Taking his turn, Zakazaka who represented FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda, noted that passing the course is good “but what next?”

“Those with such papers are in the region of 500, but where are they?”