By Engel Nawatiseb TSUMEB The strategy of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) through its technical department to mould young players for the various national teams is bearing fruit following the introduction of a coaching course for beginners. Coaching Instructor Max Johnson completed a successful course for close to 30 beginner coaches in Tsumeb over the weekend, which put them at readiness to impart their knowledge to aspirant players ranging from Under 10 to the level of the senior national team. Johnson said the coaches have been integrated into four zones for the Tsumeb district and would focus their training on schools and youngsters in various townships of the town. Johnson told the coaches that the coaching discipline is confronted by all sorts of problems including personal feuds as well as criticism due to non-performance. “As coaches you are at the mercy of other people monitoring your performance. They can call for your dismissal, it is a very difficult domain that you are now entering but stick in there and be committed to your developmental agenda to survive through good performance.” Citing the example of the recently axed Bafana Bafana coach, Ted Dumitru, Johnson noted that no formal discussions were held to investigate reasons for the poor performance of the team before booting the coach. The Technical Director of the NFA, Seth Boois, has developed several blueprints and has now identified qualified instructors to implement them. Johnson told New Era that the beginner coaches have shown determination to contribute towards the national objectives of the NFA in a bid to prepare various national team candidates towards the World Cup 2010. Johnson is yet to conduct similar courses in Otjiwarongo and Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Re- gion. “We previously made a big mistake in not developing sustainable national teams at an accelerated rate. It is however not too late to realize our dream before the commencement of the World Cup and the 2010 round of the African Nations Cup that is likely to be hosted by Namibia if our bid succeeds,” noted Johnson. The country is currently preparing for the African Cup of Nations to take place in Ghana during 2008, 2010 (still open bid), the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and subsequently training football coaches to prepare players at development and national team level. A Tsumeb based development coach, Erich Ouseb. has been nominated to attend a high level Coaching Course in Brazil in December this year. The former Brave Warriors caretaker coach stressed that there is never a dull moment in soccer, claiming that the young talent (players) that is being groomed now could cause major upsets in future. NFA Technical Director Seth Boois stated, “If the World Cup 2010 in South Africa and Namibia’s bid to host the 2010 African Nations Cup is anything to go by the country could reap multiple benefits from the duo major events on the African football calendar.” He stressed that huge inflows of tourists would lead to huge inflows of foreign capital and lead to an increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “It will further enhance Vision 2030 owing to increased trade in local and foreign goods as well as increase the learning curve in terms of the technical development of soccer,” noted Boois.