Moses Chunga wants Zifa meeting

THE Soccer Coaches Union of Zimbabwe president Moses Chunga has requested a meeting with the ZIFA leadership and all stakeholders to discuss the minimum wage and working conditions for the local coaches.

SCUZ, which is an umbrella body representing the interests and welfare of the coaches in the domestic league, welcomed the decision by ZIFA to standardise coaching in Zimbabwe but reckoned that coaches also needed to be rewarded as most of them were being given a raw deal by their employers.

Chunga wrote to ZIFA chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze at the weekend requesting an indaba with clubs and all stakeholders where they hope to iron out a number of issues ranging from contracts and remuneration to the acceptable working conditions.

The former Zimbabwe international, who is also an experienced coach, said his union was happy with the recent announcement by ZIFA to set minimum qualifications at various levels as it improves quality of the game. "The Soccer Coaches Union of Zimbabwe hereby advise you that, we have received with joy the news about the coaching standardisation.

"We feel this was now overdue given the number of highly qualified coaches we have in this nation. We have embraced your decision and this will go a long way towards football development from grassroots.

"More so we would want to mention that your office through the Technical Director has conducted a lot of programs to qualify a lot of coaches, and at this point we feel the most qualified should be given an opportunity to coach at the highest level.

"Coaches have invested a lot towards attaining these courses and we feel as SCUZ it's also pay back time for the investment they did towards these courses, and of note the CAF A which required participants to part away with over a $1 000 dollars.

"What we now appeal to your office is to make sure that this is implemented down to the primary school level. It is our concern that despite a big number of qualified coach around the country most lower league teams and schools still employ under qualified coaches. "This is giving a negative impact on our football and affecting correct player development thereby leaving our football in a sorry state.

"With this development we would also what to meet you and engage other stakeholders on the issue of remuneration. "We strongly believe that despite the effort by coaches to get the said qualifications the salaries and some working conditions does not match their qualifications.

"However, it is against this background that we have made a draft on minimum wages for the respective leagues and the said institutions. We are willing to meet with all the stakeholders for a collective bargain. As SCUZ we are ready to meet with the relevant authorities to present our proposal, we kindly request your office to facilitate negotiations," said Chunga.

ZIFA will from this year be strict with the standard requirements for football coaches at all levels after they announced last week that only those with CAF A Licence would be permitted to be head coaches in the PSL as part of the Club Licencing system. Assistant coaches should be CAF B or CAF C holders while goalkeepers' coaches are now required to have a Caf C Licence and a goalkeeper coaching certificate.

ZIFA also announced that national team coaches will not be coached by anyone without a CAF A Licence or better while lower leagues and schools should also hold necessary qualifications.