Football: Confédération Africaine de Football (Caf) Coaches Instructors’ Course Level A |14 February 2023

From left to right: Ralph Jean-Louis, SFF CEO Denis Rose, Mr Mebratu, SFF technical director Osama Haroun, Vivian Both, Jim Louis and SFF vice-president Dolor Ernesta (Photo: Joena Meme)

Three local coaches’ instructors sit for Caf Level A

As parts of its effort to be in compliance with the requirements and standards set by the Confédération Africaine de Football for all member associations, the Seychelles Football Federation yesterday launched a coaches instructors’ course, gathering local instructors who will be engaged in both theoretical and practical sessions.

The training, which will go until February 20 at the Maison Football and the Astro-turf pitch concurrently, will help boost the skills of the instructors in line with the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) target to promote and improve local football, especially at grassroots level.

It is also part of the SFF’s plan to boost its capacity building plans, targeting everyone who contributes in one way or another in the daily running of local football.

Again, this is in line with the Fédération internationale de Football Association (Fifa) and Caf’s recommendations as part of the new football era, especially in the new ways of doing things.

The capacity building programme will target individuals from the National Sports Council (NSC), the SFF secretariat, as well as coaches, team officials and administrators.

Failing to comply with the recommendations will not be in the advantage of the SFF, in terms of reaching its goals, as well as targets set by the sport’s world and continental governing bodies.

The Caf instructors’ course has been organised with the aim of improving the capacity of local instructors and shape new ones who will be delivering different Caf coaching courses in line with the association’s new convention which is a document that ensures the quality of coach education in Africa.

The training was officially launched by vice-president of the SFF Dolor Ernesta, in the presence of chief executive Denis Rose and technical director – directeur technique national (DTN) – Osama Haroun.

It is being conducted by Confédération Africaine de Football (Caf) elite instructor, Ethiopian Abraham Mebratu who is also a Fifa technical expert.

The three instructors attending the training are Ralph ‘Tiapout’ Jean-Louis who led Seychelles to their first and only gold medal at the Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in 2011 on home soil, Vivian Both, who guided the national selection in winning the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2021, and Jim Louis.

Launching the training, Mr Ernesta noted that it if we want to promote football, it is crucial that we start at the lowest level which is grassroots, and for that to be successful, we need to have as many qualified coaches as possible, since the young players need a lot of guidance, be it technically, emotionally, as well as psychologically.

In line with that, Mr Ernesta said the need for coaches is the main reason why Fifa and Caf have always assisted Seychelles in producing qualified coaches.

He said it will be the duty of the three instructors to take on the task of forming more local coaches who in return will have the responsibilities of identifying and nurturing the young talents through their acquired coaching skills.

The SFF vice-president also expressed appreciation to Caf for approving this course to be held in Seychelles, noting that it will expand the skills of the instructors who will in return pass them on to the coaches, all in line with the aim of the SFF which is to foster football in Seychelles through football education.

On his part, Mr Mebratu thanked the SFF for the opportunity to bring his know-how to our shores, thus contributing towards the development of football in Seychelles.

About Abraham Mebratu

Abraham Mebratu is a Caf elite instructor who was formerly the head coach of Bahir Dar City Football Club.

He was appointed as Fifa’s technical expert in September last year, boasting work experience as Caf elite instructor, as well as a member of the technical research team and coach at Caf, as well as experiences in Asia and Yemen.

His duties as a Fifa technical expert include elite football coaching, youth football, grassroots, and development of courses for technical directors, instructors and football-related contents.

He is also engaged in technical consultancy for Fifa member countries and continental confederations in football development, monitoring the football development programmes and activities of those member countries which include the preparation of the new Fifa Technical Development Programme, under this programme department.

Mr Mebratu was formerly the head trainer of the Ethiopian national selection, ahead of the 2019 Total African Cup of Nations, replacing Ashenafi Bekele.

He had also coached Ethiopian local sides before departing to Yemen, where he later assumed the role of technical director within the Yemen Football Association.

Compiled by Roland Duval