Kasaona attends women's football coaching workshop

CAF Women's Football Department and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) kicked off a women's football coaching workshop with African Women’s National Teams coaches last week, lasting from 14 to 18 May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



Former Brave Gladiators skipper, Uerikondjera “Mammie” Kasaona, received an invitation from CAF to attend the four day coaching workshop.



She described her overall experience during the Workshop as both fruitful and well-organized. "The workshop focused on leadership skills, and I gained a lot of knowledge about the latest football trends, as well as insights from my counterparts, such as South African women’s football coach and former player, Desiree Ellis, who has done tremendously well for women’s football in Africa," she shared.



In a telephone interview, when asked about the importance of organizational and leadership support for initiatives like this in developing women's football in Namibia, Kasaona emphasized the significance. "It's a massive opportunity for organizations to promote the growth of women’s football. It's crucial to understand how the female body works, especially in a sport like football," she noted.



Kasaona is a strong advocate for increasing the number of female coaches, highlighting the importance of role models for young girls. "We need more women in coaching roles so that the girl child has someone to look up to, as we currently have very few," she said.



Furthermore, she added that she aspires to become the first woman to coach in the Namibian top-flight league. She stated, "I might not be focused on making history as the first woman to do so, but rather because I believe I have the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience. I had coached boys before through the academy I ran, Kasaona Football Academy, so it will be nothing new to me.”



This collaborative workshop, attended by a total of 32 coaches (16 from Africa and 16 from Saudi Arabia), aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of women’s coaches coaching senior or junior women's national teams as either head or assistant coaches.



The list of participating African coaches included:



Uerikondjera “Mammie” Kasaona (Namibia),Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisan (Botswana), Ininahazwe Belyse (Burundi), Simephi Mamba (Eswatini), Bernice Adutumwaa Kyeremeh (Ghana), Jackline Juma (Kenya), Beldine Lilian Odemba (Kenya), Elizabeth Yelimala (Lesotho), Selamawit Zeray (Liberia), Kebeh G. Lamine (Liberia) Adanna Gloria Nwanire (Nigeria), Thinasonke Mbuli (South Africa), Kaï Tomety (Togo), Ahumuza Colines (Uganda), Naomi Phiri (Zambia), and Florence Nkatya Mwila (Zambia).