NAIROBI, Kenya, February 4 – Former English Premier League (EPL) side Fulham FC community coach, Jeremy Weeks, has tipped Chelsea to clinch this season’s title after beating Manchester City 1-0 on saying coach Jose Mourihno might work his magic in the 14 remaining matches.
“I think Chelsea will win the league particularly after playing good football against City and they might make the final charge and register good results, more importantly starting with Fulham where I was coaching,” Weeks who was the Paralympic Football Competition Manager for London 2012 Games told Capital Sport.
However, league two side Portsmouth FC education manager, Adam Lea, had a different opinion saying any team can win the title since the league is very tight.
“We have seen a lot of teams take top of the table, there was City and now it’s Arsenal, obviously the Gunners have a huge fan base in Kenya as well as Manchester United and Liverpool.
“The league is so close and that’s what makes EPL interesting. I will just sit at the fence and watch,” Adam explained.
The pair were speaking on Tuesday at Government School of Kenya in Lower Kabete, when conducting a football clinic for 14 coaches from Kenya and Uganda.
The week-long Premier Skills initiative run by EPL and British Council started February 1 and will come to a close on Wednesday.
The programme’s main aim is to develop a brighter future for youths around the world, drawing upon global appeal of premier league and delivering community projects through sports mostly football.
According to British Council, Programme and Business manager, George Kogolla, their first three year project will roll out in April, where they will pitch camp in Mt Elgon, an area that had been affected by tribal clashes and dispute with neighboring Uganda.
“Our main aim is to use football as a tool to resolve conflict and counsel victims. We will partner with AFC Leopards in this project because they command a huge fan base from this region.
“We have been at the area for one week and the reception was good. We intend to use the County Government of Bungoma and Football Kenya Federation branch in this area to construct a sports facility that will keep the youths busy.”
The coaches will receive professional training on skills that will enable them develop in their own community football projects across the region, as well as educate other local tacticians.
“This is a football development programme which focuses on producing coach educators. We have done this initiative since 2008 in over 23 countries across Africa, Asia and South America.
“We are training them in three phases; level 1 that will see them learn the introduction of coach education, then we move on to level 2 where its all about assessment and finally finish with skills technique,” Weeks who spent five seasons at Fulham added.
The initiative that started four years ago, has seen two out of five Kenyans reach level 1, which is the highest rank while Uganda who has nine coaches have four.
Mathare United team manager, William Muluya, who was one of the trainees, said it’s an opportunity that any one can’t afford to miss since it raises the standards of a coach.
“I started as a community coach way back in 2009 then a Premier Skills coach and I’m now a coach educator level 1.
“The current football doesn’t dwell on the technique and tactical part of it, so we need to have skills to fine-tune the football aspect of it.
“I will definitely apply the skills at my community in Dandora where I have a team known as Indomitable Dandora and also in Mathare Youth Sports Association where I serve in various positions,” Mathare team manager said.
Uganda women national team coach Kebba Haruna, is one of the project beneficiary, having been offered an opportunity to attend an international coaching license course in London.
“As a coach educator, I have trained 67 tacticians who are doing greatly at their clubs, we needed the Premier Skills in Uganda since it brings everybody in the community together. It has really helped football grow in my country,” Haruna stated.
In Kenya they started with 68 participants and then whittled down to 12 before settling for the final five.
Muluya, Khamisi Mohamed from Ngong, Charles Odhiambo (Nairobi), Festus Juma (Oyugis) and Mwanjirani Mohamed (Coast) are the Kenyan coaches.
