Talking Football with, Zenzo Moyo
AS football across the rest of the world develops and grows, so do our ambitions in Africa! We too want to be “professional” football clubs and associations!
And as far as African football is concerned some of the efforts we are making towards this professionalism Nirvana is the hiring of what we call technical managers, administrative upgrades of how we run clubs and associations and so on.
Barcelona
All good, I think! Yes, we need to up our game! Yes, we need to get as near as possible to how the global football village is evolving.
But I wonder if we are ready for all the changes or the pace at which we attempt to move towards comparisons to the Barcelonas, and the Real Madrids and the Liverpools of the modern game. Or even the Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahlys of Africa. On paper, it seems easy to attempt to aspire and be convinced of our ability to be like one of these great clubs but most of Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular, this is becoming more and more like a mirage than a practical ambition.
Let’s look at our local clubs’ appointments of what we have come to call “technical managers” for example: is our game ready for such giant strides in football management?
Do we have the right personnel with the right skills for such appointments? Are our club administrators and club systems ready for such appointments? Do we give them roles and responsibilities that as administrators we understand and do our coaches understand these roles and responsibilities as the bearers of this title?
Real Madrid
I have no doubt we have able coaches in both the country and the continent, but I feel that more often than not, these personalities have more technical skills than management skills which has created problems within our clubs. Once a coach has been appointed a “technical manager”, I have noted that we have developed problems within our clubs.
I note with concern that once one is appointed a “technical manager”, our clubs begin to struggle to manage their managers.
Many times, coaches have come to wield more power within clubs than their employers themselves. I touched on the power that has been inadvertently handed to coaches by clubs through systems and appointments that I feel we don’t really understand just yet or even know how to superintend.
And this has invariably been created for the local game especially administratively and, consequently, technically as well.
In Europe or rather in a football developed countries across the world, a football club manager has the following responsibilities: selecting the team of players for matches, and their formation, planning the strategy, and instructing the players on the pitch, motivating players before and during a match, delegating duties to the first team coach and the coaching and medical staff, scouting for young but talented players for eventual training in the youth academy or the reserves, encouraging the development and improvement of youth academy or the reserves players, buying and selling players in the transfer market, including loans, and facing the media in pre-match and post-match interviews.
And it is these same responsibilities that we have placed on coaches as technical managers.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Look at how many times fans, players and administrators have been surprised by these “technical managers” wholesale changes when they are appointed: they literally fire and hire whole squads! And this defeats the whole purpose of youth development or even continuation within our clubs.
This has been done to an extent of our “technical managers” saying players that were brought in by the executive or previous “technical manager” won’t play or they start dividing the team by suggesting that so and so is an executive’s player and so he won’t play yet the very same people are the ones that gave him that job and role.
On the other hand, a basic coach’s responsibilities are much simpler: a football coach plans and leads training sessions with the aim of helping players improve at playing the game. Football coaches develop the skills, motivation and fitness of football players and teams.
Kaizer Chiefs
They also organise and lead the team in competitive matches. Depending on experience and qualifications, a football coach may work with children, young adults or adults in grassroots, amateur, semi-professional or professional teams.
So, I ask again: are we ready to professionalise our game and make such appointments as that of “technical manager”? Do we have the right systems in place to enable our coaches to do a decent job once they are appointed to this lofty position?
Yes, I would love to see the local game regenerate and modernise but I would also like to see this process being applied as when we have the right people form the right positions as well as the right systems to accommodate these people once they have been appointed.
Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Peace and unity! And all things football. Until next time. May our Good Lord continue to Bless us all.