NAC trains South Pres Cup coaches

Fifty-six coaches from Southern Region teams taking part in this year’s Presidential Cup are undergoing training under National AIDS Commission and Football Association of Malawi’s Protect the Goal Project.

The coaching course, which is taking place at the Mpira Village in Blantyre, is drilling the coaches in HIV prevention.

The coaches are expected to relay the information to players and other coaches in their areas.

FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda believes this will help build strong teams to challenge for top places at national level of the Presidential Cup.

“FAM is committed in fighting the HIV and AIDS pandemic using all football platforms that we have. The Protect The Goal High HIV Cluster is aimed at rural football masses. It is important that we equip the coaches, who are role models to players and their communities, with HIV and AIDS messages.

“They will now become ambassadors in the implementation of the project. Apart from that, they will also be drilled in football coaching skills hence making them experts to drill teams that will be able to go far in the competition.

“So we are killing two birds with one stone—developing top coaches and players and fighting the pandemic in the rural areas. We thank NAC, government, the United Nations and all other stakeholders who will make the project successful,” said Nyirenda.

FAM technical director John Kaputa is facilitating the course whose participants have been drawn from Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mangochi, Mulanje, Nsanje, Mwanza and Zomba.

Among the participants are renowned youth football coach Enos Chatama of Bangwe Madrid, a team that has produced top players like Flames captain Limbikani Mzava and former MDC player Thango Chauma.

The Project funded by NAC to the tune of K19 million, will be officially launched during one of the Presidential Cup matches this Saturday at Thyolo Community Centre ground.