Africa-Press – Eswatini. Coaches are tired of team directors who try to interfere with their duties.
This came after Eswatini Football Coaches Association (EFCA) General Secretary (GS) Musa Mamba, urged coaches to find ways to work with team owners in selecting team’s starting line-ups. Mamba made this suggestion while presenting on effective coaching. This was during the coaches’ one-day workshop held on Saturday at the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS) boardroom. Over 100 coaches from the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and National First Division (NFD) teams, as well as women and regional sides took part in the session. The coaches had no problem with Mamba’s saying head coaches must discuss the team line-up with the technical bench, but objected to the idea of team directors having a say on the line-ups.
The GS had made it clear that head coaches must have the final say, stressing that if bosses demanded to have a say on the line-up, they must find a way to working with them and consider seeking their advice well in advance before games. “When you do the last rehearsal of the game, tell the owner of the possible line-up. They will then make approvals and disapprovals and make suggestions on the best line-up. It is not right to be secretive on the starting line-up, because it is their team and they are the ones who get the backlash for poor performance of the team,” he said. The floor rejected his proposal, defending their independency, rejecting contributions from those owners who spend some time with teams even on training. It was also the same fate for team managers.
One to make his submission was senior women’s national team Sitsebe Head Coach Zwelibanzi ‘Botsotso’ Khoza. Khoza said that it was wrong to interfere with the coaches’ line of duties and it must not happen. Khoza said if there was a chance of it, they rather submitted their starting line-ups weeks well ahead of games, but emphasised that would be equal to intimidation. Team officials usually interfere in various ways with the coaches’ duties. Besides having a say in the starting list, they call for substitution of players, transfers and hiring of personnel. It was said that there was a need for team officials to interfere because in the clubs’ and coaches philosophies as it was discussed well before they were hired. However, the coaches were of the same view with Mamba that players must be selected based on performance, as opposed to favouritism.
It was raised that there were some players who fake injuries to skip training, but expected to play because they are close to directors. Some points on Mamba’s effective coaching presentation;
* The line-up has to be discussed by the coaching teams, but the final decision comes from the head coach.
* If the boss demands a say in the line-up, find a way of working with them.
* Each and every player must know their position and role; being rotated in all positions hinders development.
* If the team has lost, remain in control of the situation.
* You should not criticise the players and the referees or the crowd.
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