Why former footballers keep trust in local trainers

FORMER football players who are now analysts have backed the notion of appointing local coaches to head the top-flight league teams
SIMBA Coach Juma Mgunda with his assistant Suleiman Matola SIMBA Coach Juma Mgunda with his assistant Suleiman Matola

TANZANIA: FORMER football players who are now analysts have backed the notion of appointing local coaches to head the top-flight league teams in a bold attempt to strengthen Tanzanian football.

They emphasise that there are individuals with the requisite qualities to impact the clubs and improve Tanzanian football.

Years ago, most local coaches who taught teams in the top-flight league achieved milestones. Among the best local coaches is Abdallah Kibadeni, who led Simba Sports Club to the CAF finals in 19 9 3. His achievement was a momentous that took 30 years for another club to repeat it.

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It was Young Africans who repeated history but it was under a foreign coach, Nasreddine Nabi. During a recent interview, Kibadeni emphasised the benefits of hiring local coaches for teams in Tanzania.

He argued that local coaches have a better understanding of the abilities and potential of homegrown players, and are therefore in a better position to nurture their talents.

He stressed that foreign coaches are often more interested in recruiting players from outside Tanzania, particularly from neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Congo, and West Africa.

This overreliance on foreign coaches ultimately results in a dependence on foreign players, which can hinder the development of a cohesive national team.

“Club leaders should place trust in our youth; foreign coaches do little to discover and develop our players. “Overreliance on foreign coaches creates a dependency on foreign players to a large extent, which ultimately hampers our national team’s ability to form a cohesive squad,” Kibadeni explained.

Kibadeni stressed the importance of clubs promoting their youth talent, and providing robust strategies to ensure that U-20 and U-17 players have the opportunity to secure spots on senior teams and major clubs.

Another challenge facing young Tanzanian footballers is a lack of self-awareness, from inadequate preparation and education in the competitive modern football landscape.

Kibadeni emphasised the need to educate coaches and provide them with training opportunities abroad to help them broaden their horizons and keep up with the latest sports developments.

George Masatu, the former Pamba and Simba SC player, believes that foreign coaches can have a positive impact on the national team, but he thinks it’s wrong to assume that the best coaches must come from abroad.

He supports Simba club’s interim trainer, Juma Mgunda, and he believes the coach has the experience, credentials and knowledge to lead the team effectively.

Masatu wants Mgunda to have the same freedom in players recruitment as foreign coaches, and take full responsibility for squad decisions. He thinks that having a local coach like Mgunda who knows Simba SC well can be very beneficial for the team.

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As for George Lukas, also a former Simba player, supports Mgunda’s appointment and thinks that he is the right choice due to his experience and professionalism.

He advises Mgunda to focus on strengthening Simba’s attacking lineup. Lukas cannot explain why Simba has had frequent coaching changes, which he thinks is not helpful for the team’s future.

Kibadeni thinks that frequent coaching changes are not good for the team and that a change should only be made if the performance trend is unfavourable.

He believes that it takes time for coaches and players to build rapport, and frequent changes can disrupt this process.

However, he thinks that retaining Mgunda is a good decision because of his deep understanding of the club and its players.