NFF celebrates CAF approval to restart A-License coaching courses

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has readmitted Nigeria to its prestigious CAF A Coaching Convention, ending a nearly decade-long wait.

This will officially reopen the pathway for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to organise top-tier coaching licence courses locally.

The development has been hailed by Nigerian football administrators and coaching experts as a major boost for technical development in the country, particularly at club and national team levels.

In a letter addressed to the NFF on Wednesday, CAF’s Coaching Education Project Manager, Jaida Zakaria, confirmed that the federation’s submitted curriculum had met the continental body’s requirements.

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“We are pleased to inform you that the CAF A course curriculum submitted by NFF has been approved. You can now proceed with submitting a request for a CAF A course through the CMS, subject to an inspection visit,” Ms Zakaria wrote.

The approval means Nigeria can once again conduct CAF A Licence coaching courses locally for the first time since 2017, a development expected to ease the burden on Nigerian coaches who previously had to seek certification abroad.

The CAF A Licence is one of the highest coaching qualifications on the continent and is required for coaches seeking to manage top-flight clubs and national teams in Africa.

Reacting to the development, the NFF’s Head of Coaching Education, Terry Eguaoje, described the approval as a landmark achievement for Nigerian football.

“This is truly huge, after nine years! Admission into the CAF A coaching convention is a big deal. This is in addition to the CAF D, C and B that had been approved at various times by CAF,” he said.

Nigeria previously organised its first-ever CAF A Licence course in 2016 under the NFF technical department, with several former internationals and domestic league coaches participating.

However, the country subsequently lost the approval to continue the programme, creating a major gap in the development pipeline for elite Nigerian coaches.

The absence of regular CAF A courses had long been a source of concern within Nigerian football circles, with coaching stakeholders warning that the shortage of certified coaches could affect standards in the domestic game.

Over the years, many coaches, including the former Flying Eagles coach Ladan Bosso, lamented that Nigeria had only a limited number of CAF A-certified coaches because the programme had not been held locally for years.

NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, welcomed the latest approval, saying preparations would begin immediately for a fresh round of elite coaching education in the country.

“We are elated by this positive development for the cause of coaching in our country. The NFF will commence preparations in earnest to put logistics in place for the first CAF A-License coaching course in this country since 2017,” he said.

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The development comes amid renewed efforts by the current NFF leadership to revive coaching education across different levels of Nigerian football.

In recent years, the federation has organised CAF B and CAF C Licence programmes, including specialised courses for women coaches.

Football analysts say the return of the CAF A programme could improve technical standards in the Nigeria Premier Football League and strengthen the country’s long-term coaching capacity.

Nigeria remains one of Africa’s biggest football nations, but concerns have persisted over inadequate investment in coaching education and technical development compared to other leading football countries on the continent.