SAFA launches coaching academy in honour of late AFCON winning coach, Barker

·         New coaching academy for aspiring coaches, scouts, technical directors and analysts

·         Academy to offer various CAF accredited courses

·         SAFA to resume with CAF A License coaching courses

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has honoured its late TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations winning coach, Clive Barker with the official launch of a coaching academy under his name. 

Barker, who led Bafana Bafana to their first and only continental title sadly passed on earlier this year after a lengthy illness at the age of 78, having enjoyed a successful coaching career both at national and club level, with some of his career highlights being the 1996 continental triumph as well as qualifying Bafana Bafana to its first ever FIFA World Cup in 1998.

The SAFA Clive Barker Academy will service the needs of aspiring coaches, scouts, analysts and technical directors with accredited CAF coaching qualifications under the auspices of the association. 

Speaking from the Association’s headquarters in Johannesburg during the official launch, SAFA Technical Director, Walter Steenbok emphasised that the academy would ensure that it meets the growing needs of modern football by offering a number of CAF accredited courses.

“We will be offering a number of different courses under the SAFA Clive Barker Academy and we are open to working with stakeholders and institutions from South Africa and abroad to capitalize on the initiative in order to grow our football”

“In modern football, one can become a Technical Director, a performance analyst, a scout, youth coach/scout and many other areas. The SAFA Clive Barker Academy will focus on areas such as these to train our up and coming coaches,” added Steenbok. 

The academy is set to officially kick off its programmes next year, with a number of enrolments expected.

Meanwhile, the TD further announced that the Association would once again resume its CAF A License coaching courses to ensure that coaches meet the strict coaching criteria as set out by CAF. 

The Association had not been eligible to conduct CAF A License coaching courses for quite some time, but has now fully complied and eligible to roll out the course. 

The first CAF A License coaching course will be conducted in November this year by the Association, under the guidance of CAF.