In its endeavour to upskill and reskill local instructors, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) in partnership with the German Football Association supported by UEFA Assist and German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) are conducting a virtual DFB International Instructor Course (IIC), which kicked off today and will end this Friday, (24th – 28th May 2021).
Aptly tagged ‘DFB International Instructor Course (IIC)’ from the German Football Association, the unique 5-day online class is designed to educate instructors of all levels in organised football, as part of the “International Sports Promotion.”

Odirile Matlhaku
The online course, which is conducted by Sebastian Weinand from the German FA saw a total of 16 Batswana youth, grassroots and technical tacticians enroll in the prestigious undertaking.
Weinand (33), holds a UEFA license, and is also an international and national instructor. He has been actively working as a coach, coach educator and instructor at the German FA including the sub-regional FA of Rhineland for six years at national and international levels.
“My job is in the field of coach education (license courses) and further training of trainers. Internationally, I have done work for Rwanda, Jordan, China, Indonesia, and Brazil respectively,” said Weinand today.

Keitumetse Paul
Weinand is assisted by the BFA acting Technical Director and DOSB Botswana Coordinator, Dr. Carolin Braun, as well as other German FA officials, among them Eva Jacobi, Ben Weinberg (CSR International Relations) and Olivia Hilderbrandt (intern).
“It offers practitioners the opportunity to acquire supportive and practice-oriented teaching aids to increase their overall effectiveness of the education they offer. The aim is to link the existing football-specific and interdisciplinary skills of the instructor more strongly with methodical, social and media competencies,” said Dr. Carolin Braun.

Dr Carolin Braun
Additionally, the IIC focus on the behaviour and role of the instructor as a decisive key qualification hence the German FA would like to provide those involved in education and training with further qualifications, thus improving football structures in general.The participants are also expected to learn about Digital Tools, Video analysis, Methods of opening and closing a workshop and evaluation, including creating a learning atmosphere to enable learning.

Tshepo Mphukuthi
Taking part are Tshepo Mphukuthi, Odirile Matlhaku, Barobi Ngwako, Keitumetse Paul, Gabanathata Tshegofatso, Kaelo Kaelo, Vincent Dlamini, Alex Malete, Thomas Gouwe, Phalalo Nketsang, Moffat Ramasotla, Saulos Mohambi and Kagiso Kobedi (all with the Youth Instructors Course – FIFA, as their highest instructors’ certification), while Onkemetse Masena and Tobokani King have Grassroots Instructors – FIFA certification while Dintwa Dintwa has Referee Instructors Course – BFA certification.

Barobi Ngwako