The Nigeria National League One coaching clinic exercise on Thursday commenced in Awka, Anambra State Capital in an effort to train grassroots football coaches in the Southeast zone.
The exercise which is in collaboration with Berakiah Coaching Clinic organization and sponsored by Aspire football club, Adazi Nnukwu, aims at developing the skills of domestic coaches in the South East Zone of the country, as a way to achieve sustainable growth in football development in the country.
The one-week exercise which has coaches Victor Nwakamma, Alphonsus Dike, Simon Ojun, among others as instructors, was an outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU between the Nigeria National League One and Berakiah, a coaching clinic organization and ABIGOL Grassroots coaching clinic in 2021.
One of the instructors and former Golden Eaglets head Coach, Alphonsus Dike who described the programme as laudable, explained that the exercise is also to expose the coaches to the rudiments of football.
The knowledge, he noted will in turn, be transferred to the players for the overall development of the round leather game in the region.
“It is a laudable programme in the sense that they are trying to get the grassroots coaches trained, so they can implement the knowledge gathered in training the players.
“That is the foundation of the game.
“When the players don’t get the rudiments of the game, then there is a problem.
“At times you see most of the players in the field do the wrong heading, they can’t control the ball or pass it well.
“The problem is fundamental, so they want to get the coaches handling the players properly trained with the rudiments of the game, so that they can transfer the knowledge.
“By so doing, the football will be developed and the quality of games here improved upon,” he said.
The Vice-Chairman, Anambra state Football Association, Mr Victor Aniekwena, while declaring the clinic open, commended the sponsors for selecting FIFA barged Instructors who are well-experienced coaches, to come and guide the upcoming ones on the fundamentals of football.
“I am very happy that this ‘teaching the teachers’ training is happening in Anambra State.
“You can see we have FIFA-barged instructors and well-experienced coaches to ensure that we get the best out of the teams.
“This is consistent with the vision of my administration to transform football in Anambra State,” he said.
The Anambra FA head expressed the hope that the governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Soludo will leverage on the gains of the training, to advance the cause of football in the state.
According to him, the training will give impetus to efforts at creating a football team for Anambra State.
“Last year, we had discussions with the State Governor, Willie Obiano, who promised to do something about having a state Football team.
“The proposal is on his table but you know he has a lot of things on his hands as he is winding up.
“We are hoping that in the hand over note of the Anambra State Sports Commission, the need for a state Football team will be included and since the government is a continuum, the incoming Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo will continue from where Obiano stopped to ensure that the dream of having a formidable football team for the state, is realized,” Aniekwena enthused.
The Coaching Clinic is expected to have an impact on the ‘My Anambra football Super league tournament’ which will soon kickoff after the ongoing Anambra state FA tournament.
