AFTER forming new football zones in Berea during the current season, the District Football Association (DIFA) Berea is currently holding training workshops for 90 coaches and 90 referees drawn from the seven newly established zones.

The week-long training session began on Monday, March 8. Participants at the workshop were drawn from the new zones which include Bela-Bela, ’Makhoroana, Masoeling, Malimong A, Malimong B, Pulane and Thupa-Kubu.

DIFA Berea Vice President Lekhooa Thabaneng told Metro that plus the additional seven new zones, they now have a total of 13 football zones in Berea.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic halted all local sporting activities, we decided to tour the district and see how we could empower football and existing football clubs in Berea. We then decided to form new C Division zones and offer trainings to people interested in coaching and refereeing.

“About 30 percent of the participants at the ongoing workshop are women as we also intend to develop female football in the district as well as have new women football zones.  At a later stage, we will hold advanced training but with focus on women only. Thereafter more trainings will be held to include both men and women club administrators,” he said.

Thabaneng further showed that the participants will not receive any certificates of participation at the end of the workshop as their training only entails basic knowledge of coaching and refereeing.

“But we expect that those who will perform better than others will enroll for the CAF D License and the Referees Certified Course later on,” he also noted.     

The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) has confirmed that its Coach Education Unit will embark on a countrywide induction coaching courses aimed at empowering young coaches with academic or no academic qualifications.