Mikia Kalati
THE Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) in collaboration with the Federations of International Football Associations (FIFA) are holding week long advanced coaching course for goalkeeper’s coaches at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena.
LeFA technical director Leslie Notsi said that the course which started on Monday, will be undertaken by 26 participants who all took the first phase of the course three years ago.
Notši told this publication that the course is about imparting the latest trends in goalkeeping as well as conditioning of goal minders. He said the course is being instructed by CAF and FIFA instructor Alex Heredia.
Heredia is an experienced goalkeeper coach and has a long history in South African football having worked at Orlando Pirates, Supersport United and also with Bafana Bafana.
Notši said that the course also includes practicing goalkeeper coaches for clubs playing in the Premier League and A division clubs.
He however, said they have also included recently retired goalkeepers to tap into their knowledge.
“The idea is to train goalkeeper coaches on a number of things required for one to be a qualified goalkeeper coach,” Notši said.
“It entails a lot of things about goalkeeping such as conditioning of goalkeeper to be in good shape, match observation and periodisation, which most of the time is excluded when coaches do their trainings.
“It also an assessment where all the participants will go through practicals.”
He said that this is the second course which his office has organised since he replaced Lehlohonolo Thotanyana as the new LeFA technical director.
“We recently held a course for grassroots football coaches for primary schools which were the first since I took over in this office. This is the crucial stage of a young footballer and it is important that we equipped them with all the necessary skills they need to prepare young players.
“We will also have one for women’s football coaches next month who also need to learn about the latest trends in football as it will go a long way in the development of women’s football in the country. This will be followed by a course for referees shortly afterwards.”
The former Kick4Life mentor also revealed that he is set to attend a three-day FIFA 2018 World Cup seminar in England next week.
The seminar is attended by the national team coaches and technical directors for all member countries and is held after every World Cup to analyse the global showpiece.
France World Cup winning coach Didier Deschamps will be expected to make a presentation on how he led Les Blues to the recent tournament in Russia.
