Namibian football coaches continued their journey to upskill and improve their qualifications when the second phase of the CAF B Diploma coaching course was concluded at Football House over the weekend.
The course was conducted by South African coach instructor Steve Coetzee, who took the coaches through another phase of learning, practical sessions and discussions around the modern game.
For Swallows FC coach Hermanus ‘Lawal’ ||Naobeb, being part of the course is more than just getting another qualification. It was an opportunity to learn, improve and hopefully take his coaching career to another level.
“We usually don’t have such courses in the country and this marks an important milestone for us coaches,” he says.
Known as Coach Lawal in Katutura, he is currently coaching Swallows FC, a team competing in the second division, while also working with the Swallows Academy which features age groups from 9-19 playing in the MTC HopSol Youth League.
For him, coaching is something that goes beyond the football pitch.
Growing up and working in Katutura, Lawal has seen first hand the role football plays in keeping young people busy and away from the streets. For many of the youngsters he works with, football gives them something to look forward to, but also an opportunity to dream bigger and beyond their livelihoods.
“Every second house in Katutura is a shebeen, but our children need safe spaces to grow and play and I enjoy working with the young ones because you can see the difference you make in their lives. Some of them just need someone to believe in them and give them that opportunity,” he says.
Lawal has also been involved in grooming players who have gone on to play in Namibia’s top tier league, something which continues to motivate him to invest more time into youth development. His passion for coaching is clear, and while he is already working at both senior and youth level, Lawal there is still a lot more he wants to achieve.
“This is something I am passionate about. I want to continue learning and improve myself as a coach. I want to go further in my coaching career and hopefully coach at the highest level one day and the CAF B Diploma is therefore not the destination, but another step in my coaching journey.”
