The South African Football Association (SAFA) Technical Director Walter Steenbok says their new regulations have not been enforced to spite coaches in the Premier Soccer League.
After the return of the A License course, with the likes of Gavin Hunt, Eric Tinkler and Steve Barker taking part in, return after nearly a decade, SAFA are looking to accelerate the process of equipping coaches in South Africa with the necessary qualifications.
This to help the process of club licensing with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in order for clubs to take part in CAF inter-club competitions.
Several PSL coaches were unable to be on the bench over the past two seasons as CAF stamped the authority on coaching licenses and with 30 C License courses and 52 D License courses completed over the past two seasons in South Africa, Steenbok suggests there are no excuses.
“From where we’re standing there’s been a request from the PSL, to say can we relook at the conditions you have put up there, I’m going to reiterate again, we’re ready from our side, 85% of the coaches in the Premier League, are qualified, for us to implement the CAF Club Licensing,” Steenbok said.
“So we’re very clear, CAF A License for head coaches, B License for assistant coaches and in the Hollywood Bets Super League we have B and C Licenses for their coaches, and in the NFD the same conditions, A and B.
“If you check from 2022 up until now, we have had close to 20 C License course, so anyone with a D or C License, we have made the ground very fertile for them to be able to graduate. We have opened the doors but we cannot really be held back on D Licenses for eight years and not coming to our courses.
“So where we’re standing from our side, bar what the PSL is saying, we’re ready to implement this – yesterday we closed the clock for the CAF Online Platform System. Which CAF also says can you have minimum requirements.
“Some of the coaches might not be able to meet that because they have not been to our classes for the last seven years, not necessarily for the A and B, we have never closed the C and D, so from our side we’re ready to implement in September.”
When probed whether it’s something SAFA is able to enforce, after regulations were placed over prohibiting coaches from being hired that don’t meet the required coaching standards, Steenbok emphatically said they have no options but to adhere, but feels there’s been a bit of resistance.
“The NEC has informed it, the highest decision-making body and if it needs to be revoked, it must be revoked by the NEC, you might have learnt from last year in December, that the SAFA NEC was very clear we’re moving with this process and that’s the position we have, the PSL has not made a formal request for us to consider the club licensing regulation,” he stated.
“But from our side, bar what the NEC said, we are ready to enforce these rules in September and it must also be understood, that we’re not doing it to spite anybody or make people feel bad but it’s a way of us saying let’s implement for the sake of professionalising our game and putting our standard to the right level.”
