Apart from being Rundu Chiefs FC technical director, Rusten Mogane is also in charge of formulating a stable youth academy for the Kavango East region outfit.
Mogane was at the helm of Rundu Chiefs FC as technical director during the 2024/25 football season that saw the team elevated to the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) this season.
Talking to Desert FM recently, Mogane said the team’s chairperson, Agripa Haindongo, asked him to work with the youth academy, because the team’s youth structure is not well organised.
“The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has a requirement that a youth academy must feed team members to the senior side.
“He asked me to assist in that regard. I am still the team’s technical director, and I am still in contact with the senior team, but because I am occupied with the junior team, I cannot always be there.”
Mogane said he therefore does not always travel with the senior team.
“But nowadays technology is very good and I always talk to the head coach and give advice,” he said.
“Last season, Rundu Chiefs were not really in good shape; they were almost relegated to the third or fourth division. I am now busy getting young players together.”
Mogane said 19 players are under 20, six players under 15, and four in the youth structure are older than 20.
“We are currently trying to revive an under-23 team. There is a league for that division, and we are busy preparing players for that campaign,” he said.
“If there are any players who have the material to play in the senior team in a few years’ time, they can be promoted to the senior team.”
Mogane said with the establishment of youth academies by teams plying their trade in the NPFL, football is certainly heading in the right direction.
“The only thing I see is that at that type of level the under 20 and under 23, they need qualified coaches. There is a very huge difference between coaching a senior team, and coaching an under 20 or under 16 team.”
The former Brave Warriors mentor said youth structures fell apart in the early 90s and 2000s, and as a result of that, senior teams struggled to beef up their senior teams because there were no youth structures at play.
“Because the structure was not there, teams had to buy or get players from other regions, and that was very costly for the owners of the club.
“They say in football, 30% of your senior team must consist of your youth team. So my contract with Rundu Chiefs says clearly that I can be given any assignment, and one of my responsibilities is the youth team.
“I am wholeheartedly committed to establishing a formidable youth structure.”
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