The government is committed to continue improving the standard of football in the country, with efforts being made to ensure local coaches get pre-requisite training.
Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Youths and Sports, Mr Juma Nkamia
This was said in the National Assembly on Friday by the Deputy Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Juma Nkamia, when responding to a question by Abdallah Haji Ali (Kiwani – CUF), who wanted to know why football standard in the country continue to experience a nosedive, compared to 1970s and 1980s when football was at its peak.
He said the efforts include hiring foreign coaches to train the national teams at all levels, including that of the senior national team, Taifa Stars, Dutchman Mart Nooij.
“My ministry has directed the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), to set a programme that will enable the national team coach to train local coaches, giving the much required knowledge,” Nkamia told the House.
He said local coaches need frequent training to enable the unearth new talents that will be recruited by top clubs in the country and later traded to foreign countries to play professional football.
Nkamia also said that his ministry has ordered Mainland Premier League clubs to make sure that they establish active youth teams in different age categories to create a pool of players that will help them and the national teams in succession plans.
“I take this opportunity to laud the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) who, in coordination with the Spanish giants Real Madrid, have set up an Academy at Kigamboni in Dar es Salaam not only to groom talents, but also to trade them in European clubs,” he said, adding that the government really appreciate that move and will support it.
He also said the growth or retardation of football standards of a country depends on various criteria, including national league, number of teams in the national league, results of international matches and rankings released by the world soccer governing body, FIFA.
Responding to a supplementary question by Ilala legislator, Mussa Azan Zungu (CCM), who had sought to know if the government has any plans to honour football legends at least by posting their poster on the perimeter walls of the football venues, Nkamia said the government does not have enough pictures of the former players.
However, he said the available pictures are those of Zamoyoni Mogella, Jellah Mtagwa and Sunday Manara.
By NASONGELYA KILYINGA, Tanzania Daily News