‘SOLLY, YOU CAN’T COACH HERE’

MBABANE – While he has been to the FIFA World Cup Under-17 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010, highly qualified coach Solomon Luvhengo does not qualify to coach in Eswatini.

The highly trained coach, who possesses FIFA high level course certificate attained in 2011, SAFA PRO-Licence Level 3 attained in 2012, has returned home in South Africa after leading Denver Sundowns in one game – a 1-0 victory over Tinyosi FC last Wednesday at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground – to sort out his coaching certificates to enable him to coach in the country. Luvhengo left the country last Friday and even missed Sundowns 2-1 victory over Tambankulu Callies on Saturday at Mavuso Sports Centre.

absence

In his absence, assistant coach Thembelani Dlamini was in charge. An informed source told the Times Sports Desk yesterday that Luvhengo is in a coaching dilemma necessitated by the baffling requirements in the country that a coach must possess a CAF Licence A certificate to coach in the elite league and cannot coach a team here even if he has better qualifications from other ranks. “This is embarrassing, you have someone who is actually more qualified to coach in Eswatini but he cannot coach as he has to have a CAF Licence B or A, whatever they call these qualifications. Now the coach is here and he has all the qualifications including the CAF B and A but he has to go and get a letter from SAFA confirming all on this. This is madness,” said a source close to the matter.

Luvhengo, according to a highly impeccable source, has agreed terms with Sundowns on a short-term contract that will last until the end of the season. Denver Sundowns Chairman, Mark Carmichael, who is also Chairman of the Premier League of Eswatini, confirmed that they had asked the coach to sort out the coaching qualifications issues with the South African Football Association (SAFA).

agreed

“Look, what can we do? We have agreed terms with him and he is a qualified coach or even overqualified if you look at his CV but now he has to sort out his coaching qualifications and verify with SAFA because of the requirements here in Eswatini. How this affects Sundowns or Eswatini football who can benefit from such a qualified coach, you tell me,” Carmichael said briefly. Luvhengo could not be reached for comment last night despite repeated attempts. He is not the only coach, with all top coaching qualifications, who could not coach in the country as former Sundowns coach, Milton Dlamini, who has been coach in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League in a number of teams including Baroka, Platinum Stars and National First Division sides, Acorn bush and Mbombela United, also faced the same dilemma.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: