Kaindu attending Caf A Licence coaching course in Zambia

HIGHLANDERS Football Club head coach Kelvin Kaindu is attending a high-level Caf A Licence coaching course in his home country Zambia as he continues to enhance his coaching credentials.

The Zambian expatriate, who guided Bosso to their first major silverware in seven years when they beat How Mine 3-0 in the Mbada Diamonds Cup final a fortnight ago, will miss tomorrow's Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year banquet in Harare.

Kaindu is one of 25 local and foreign-based trainers who are attending Africa's elite coaches' programme which will run for 30 days.

The month-long course started in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Sunday and has been split into two sessions of 15 days each with the first part ending on December 23 while the final leg of the programme will resume on January 4.

Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya urged local coaches to seek to attain the highest possible qualifications.

Speaking to the Zambian media, the revered soccer personality said it was important that Zambia kept pace with Africa and the rest of the world by training coaches and developing the standards of the game.

Kalusha said improving football standards should start with the coaches since they were in direct contact with the players and giving them the right knowledge was one sure way to an all-round improvement.

"We at FAZ are always proud to be training you coaches because this is the only way we are going to keep you abreast with the modern football developments. It is also in keeping with the Fifa directives that coaches get high level training.

"We have noticed that apart from Europe and the Americas, the rest of the continents were struggling in standards at international competitions like World Cups and coaching was one area identified that needed improving," Bwalya was quoted as saying.

Towards the 2013 close season, Kaindu attended a Uefa B Licence coaching clinic in the United Kingdom making him one of the most qualified trainers on the local football scene.

Speaking from his native Zambia on Tuesday night, Kaindu said he has had to cut his holiday short because of the Caf A Licence programme.

"It is good to be back home to be with the family but unfortunately my holiday has been interrupted as I am now attending a Caf A Licence coaching clinic here in Lusaka. We will be in class for the next two weeks before breaking for Christmas and New Year holidays.

"The duration of the course is 240 hours over 30 days and it is in two parts. It is the highest coaching level in Africa and I am privileged to be among the few in our country to be given the opportunity to attain knowledge at this level," said Kaindu.

Some of the coaches familiar to most Zimbabweans like former Dynamos' Keagan Mumba, ex-Hwange and FC Platinum's Tenant Chilumba and former AmaZulu and Railstars striker Chewe Mulenga are attending the course.

The quartet of Kaindu, Mulenga, Dennis Lota who is an assistant coach at   Moroka Swallows in South Africa and Swaziland based Manfred Chabinga are the foreign based participants at the coaching clinic.

Zambia joins Ghana, Sudan, Namibia and South Africa who are some of the countries that have had the Caf A Licence programme.

Zimbabwe is set to conduct the high-level coaching course next year.

Kaindu, believed to have penned a two-year contract extension with Highlanders before leaving for Zambia, could not be drawn into commenting about his plans for next season.

"For now I am on holiday and at the moment I am concentrating on this Caf A Licence coaching clinic. I have been away from my family for some time and I want to relax and have quality time with the family.

"We will talk about football when I have refreshed," he said.