Top PSL coaches set to earn prestigious badge as SAFA hosts CAF A licence diploma

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Coaching Convention has officially readmitted the South African Football Association (SAFA), which paves the way for South Africa to host the prestigious CAF A Licence Coaching diploma from November 13 to November 20.

The CAF A badge is a hallmark event for coaches in South Africa and requires 200 hours of dedicated study.

It has been six frustrating years for South Africa as the course had not been offered since 2017, leaving coaches to either fall behind or acquire the credentials through other associations.

In a decisive move in 2021, CAF implemented a bold requirement for head coaches leading their clubs in CAF inter-club competitions.

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It was mandated that they must hold either a relevant CAF A licence or a valid coaching licence from a sister confederation such as UEFA, AFC, or Concacaf in order to be eligible to be in the dugout.

Additionally, assistant coaches were mandated to hold at least a CAF B licence to fulfill their roles on the coaching staff.

These regulations immediately impacted teams like Marumo Gallants, Royal AM and Cape Town City.

Coaches Dan Malesela, Khabo Zongo and Eric Tinkler had to watch from the stands during their respective teams' CAF matches last season due to their inability to meet the coaching licence requirements.

This past season, Gavin Hunt also had to watch his team from the stands as they clawed their way through Confederation Cup preliminary rounds to book a place in the group stages.

Both Hunt and Tinkler possess the UEFA A Licence, but even these credentials were insufficient for them to secure a spot in the dugout.

Nevertheless, the pair,