ENHANCED: Anna Monate |
The national under-20 women’s team coach Anna Monate, who successfully completed a coaching course in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, recently said the course will continue to enhance her job.
The refresher course for women instructors was held from December 17 to 22 in the East African country, where 44 women from around the continent attended.
Monate was the South African candidate, while another notable name was Namibian national coach Jacqui Shipanga.
The course, which was facilitated by Confederation of African Football executive committee member and Banyana Banyana team manager Fran Hilton-Smith, was designed to equip women with the skills needed to run their own game.
Monate said she learnt from her fellow coaches and was ready to employ those lessons.
“The course was very effective. I felt women were empowered and some of the aspects that were covered confirmed the approach I have been taking with my players,” Monate said.
Monate also coaches the girls based at the High Performance Centre Academy in Tshwane. She has also been instrumental in the development of players such as Busisiwe Ndimeni.
Ndimeni gave a great account of herself in her international debut in Banyana colours in Equatorial Guinea.
Hilton-Smith said the idea behind these courses were to inspire disadvantaged coaches to take advantage of rare opportunities, when they do arise.
“Africa has very few women coaches and that has to change. We are working very hard to change what continues to be the trend where women’s teams are coached by men, and we are now empowering women. For instance, at the Africa Women’s Championships very few teams were headed by women,” she said.
Hilton-Smith said that the presence of Shipenga, who holds a Fifa’s Masters qualification, was an inspiration to other African women.
