A total of 13 participants registered for the six-day Southern Region Five A-side League Zifa Futsal Level 1 course for coaches, referees and administrators in preparation for the 2017 season.

The training course is being facilitated by the legendary duo of Gibson Homela and Weekly Mwale at Football for Hope Centre located in Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda suburb. 

“I think we had a very positive response after we got 13 participants that registered on the first day. As the week progresses, we are

looking forward to having over 20 participants,” said Zifa Southern Region

Five-A-side League chairman Philani Banda.

“This is the first course for five A-side football coaches, referees and administrators in Bulawayo as we endeavour to run the league professionally in preparation for the 2017 season. We have structures in place, but lack of training for our coaches, referees and administrators stood in the way of running the league in the same manner as our sister entity the Premier Soccer League,” said Banda.

“The course will be divided into theory and practical sessions and only participants that pass the tests will be awarded certificates. We

want every club to have a trained coach and administrator before the start of the next season”.

The course is divided into theoretical and practical lessons as well as an examination set for Saturday.

Among the participants that registered for the course by the end of yesterday are Winston Banda, Zwelibanzi Zulu, Mncedisi Maphosa,

Mbongeni Ndebele, Chance Moyo, Luckmore Nyathi, Ndabezinhle Ndlovu, Kudakwashe Pasi and Mthandazo Ndlovu, among others.

Despite being founded five years ago, the Southern Region Five A-side League has failed to take off smoothly, with the league

programme sometimes being abandoned halfway through due to financial constraints and lack of proper administrative structures.

The league, however, hopes to have a smooth sailing 2017 season and has begun regularising its operations starting with the six-day course.

The Southern Region Five A-side League has 10 clubs under its umbrella, Fox FC, Khalanyoni, FC Amabhubesi, Fog FC, Nyoro United, Rome FC, Wangu Wangu, Binga United, Cowdray Park and Nust.

Nationally, the game is run by the FUTSAL and beach soccer committee chairman Felton Kamambo.

Worldwide Five A-side football played on a smaller field and mainly indoors. It is played between two teams of five players each, one of who is a goalkeeper, and unlimited substitutions are permitted.

Five A-side football is played with a smaller ball that has with less bounce compared to a regular football due to the surface of the field.

The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces. - @FungaiMuderere