SLFA Launches Eighth Edition of CAF D Coaching Programme
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has continued its efforts to strengthen football coaching capacity in the country with the commencement of the eighth batch of the CAF ‘D’ Diploma Coaching Course.
The training officially commenced at the SLFA Secretariat in Kingtom, Freetown, bringing together 35 participants drawn from different parts of Sierra Leone.
The CAF ‘D’ Diploma Coaching Development Programme forms part of the SLFA’s ongoing efforts to improve the technical capacity of coaches and develop a new generation of qualified football coaches in line with Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, SLFA Technical Director John Edward Keister described coaching development as a continuous learning process, stressing the importance of identifying and addressing weaknesses in areas including organisation, technique, coaching education and awareness.
Keister said the programme is designed to equip grassroots coaches with fundamental coaching knowledge, strengthen their competence and better prepare them to identify and nurture football talent from the community level through to the elite level.
“The aim of this course is to equip our grassroots coaches with the fundamentals of coaching, build their competence, and ensure they are better prepared to nurture talents from the community level to the elite level,” Keister stated.
The latest training marks the eighth time the SLFA has organised the CAF ‘D’ Diploma Coaching Course, creating further opportunities for local coaches to improve their knowledge, skills and coaching competencies.
The one-week programme will combine theoretical and practical sessions, alongside internships, with participants expected to gain coaching tools and methodologies that can support their professional development and contribute to football development across Sierra Leone.