Gladiators coach in Barca

WINDHOEK – Brave Gladiators coach Jacqui Shipanga is currently attending the Uefa-CAF Meridian Football Coaching Conference in Barcelona, Spain, which ends on Saturday.

Shipanga, the director for women’s football in the Namibia Football Association (NFA), is the only woman at the conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Meridian Project which includes the Meridian Cup football competition played by promising young players from across Europe and Africa. Shipanga was recommended by the NFA to attend the high-level conference because of her involvement with youth development, her work as coach of the national women’s team and her contribution in the national women’s football leagues.Because women’s football is becoming increasingly popular in Namibia, the NFA technical director Seth Boois and the acting secretary general, Barry Rukoro, decided on Shipanga because of her expertise.Shipanga has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Fifa B licence coaching certificate and she became the first African woman to obtain a qualification in International Management, Humanities and Law in Sport, a course offered by the International Federation of Football Associations (Fifa).The Meridian Project co-operation agreement between the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) promotes exchanges between European and African football.The project also offers young footballers a unique learning experience within the framework of a football festival.The plan concentrates on education in coaching, refereeing, sports medicine and administration, and will benefit all of Africa’s 52 national associations.Shipanga is expected back on March 4 to lead the national women’s football team to Kinshasa for the second leg of the 2008 Olympic qualifiers on March 10.NampaShipanga was recommended by the NFA to attend the high-level conference because of her involvement with youth development, her work as coach of the national women’s team and her contribution in the national women’s football leagues.Because women’s football is becoming increasingly popular in Namibia, the NFA technical director Seth Boois and the acting secretary general, Barry Rukoro, decided on Shipanga because of her expertise.Shipanga has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Fifa B licence coaching certificate and she became the first African woman to obtain a qualification in International Management, Humanities and Law in Sport, a course offered by the International Federation of Football Associations (Fifa).The Meridian Project co-operation agreement between the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) promotes exchanges between European and African football.The project also offers young footballers a unique learning experience within the framework of a football festival.The plan concentrates on education in coaching, refereeing, sports medicine and administration, and will benefit all of Africa’s 52 national associations.Shipanga is expected back on March 4 to lead the national women’s football team to Kinshasa for the second leg of the 2008 Olympic qualifiers on March 10.Nampa