By Victor Kanayo
Nine years after it was last held, plans are underway to stage the CAF B-License Coaching Course, designed to enhance the capacity of Nigerian coaches.
This was disclosed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a statement on Sunday.
Part of the statement reads, “The Nigeria Football Federation has set in motion concrete plans to organise a four-month programme to prepare (coaches) for current and future challenges. The programme is for both men and women coaches.”
Quoting NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, the statement noted that the course is part of NFF’s strategic efforts to build the capacity of coaches across the country and will be conducted in modules.
“To be eligible to participate in the course, which will run between 7th April and 25th August 2025, a candidate must be an active coach, possess a CAF C-License certificate that has been put to use in the past two years, be able to read and write in English, have basic computer skills and a laptop, have a valid Gmail account, and submit a medical certificate proving they are physically and mentally fit to undertake the course.
“We are targeting a maximum number of 25 participants. Applicants will be provided with a CAF CMS registration link upon successful completion of the pre-course assessment and will pay the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on or before 31st March 2025,” the statement added.
Heritage Times HT reports that the return of the CAF B-License course is already raising ripples, seven years after the NFF made a similar announcement.
In 2018, interested participants were asked to pay N150,000 each, and about 80 coaches expressed interest and paid. However, the course did not hold, and no refunds were made until 19th January 2025, when the NFF raised fresh hopes.
In 2024, the NFF organised the CAF C-License programme exclusively for women, the first of its kind which drew 30 women coaches from across the country, including a significant number of former Nigerian international players who made different payments.
The three-module course took place between July and September 2024.