SICHONE’S UEFA A LICENCE NOT GOOD ENOUGH – CAF
ZAMBIA national football team Head Coach Moses Sichone is deemed ineligible to lead the Chipolopolo at the CAF 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations under the newly introduced Confederation of African Football coaching requirements despite being one of the most highly qualified coaches in the country.
Sichone, who holds a UEFA A coaching licence falls short of the latest CAF regulations which guide that all coaches involved in CAF national team competitions and CAF club tournaments must possess either a CAF A or a Pro licence.
According to CAF, the revised coaching rules which were introduced in May this year are part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening the technical and professional standards of football across the continent.
CAF explained that the decision was driven by the central role coaches play in shaping football development in Africa.
CAF indicated during the introduction of the new coaching requirements that the role of coaches in the development of football, particularly in the African football landscape is of paramount importance which is why it introduced new coaching requirements to regulate the activities of coaches involved in official CAF matches.
The continental football governing body further revealed that the new measures had received formal approval late last year.
CAF said as part of the ongoing efforts to elevate the standards of African football the CAF Executive Committee approved the new coaching requirements at its meeting on December 16, 2024.
CAF clarified that the scope of the regulations goes beyond club competitions and applies equally to national teams.
“The new requirements apply not only to the CAF Inter-clubs and the Women’s Champions League competitions, but also to all National Teams of CAF Member Associations. The purpose of the update is to ensure that coaches across all CAF competitions meet the professional standards set by CAF,” CAF stated.
In light of the new rules, the continental soccer governing body urged all coaches who do not possess the requisite certification to fully comply with the new coaching requirements.
However, CAF provided a transitional grace period for coaches who were already under contract before the regulations came into force.
“Coaches with valid contracts who do not possess the required license and who were contracted before the introduction of the new CAF coaching requirements would have two football seasons (2025/2026 and 2026/2027) to meet the certification requirements. Clubs and national associations intending to hire coaches after the implementation of the new coaching requirements must ensure that these coaches meet the specified qualifications outlined in the new requirements,” CAF stated.
CAF also issued a warning regarding sanctions for non-compliance which could directly affect match-day operations and team management.
CAF warned that in a case of non-fulfilment of the requirements, the affected coaches would be prohibited from accessing Zones 1 and 2 of the stadiums during CAF matches.
“Coaches will not be registered as team officials or permitted to participate in any official team activities. Other sporting sanctions including a referral to the CAF Judicial Bodies may apply,” warned CAF.
The coaching regulations raised uncertainty over Sichone’s eligibility to lead Zambia at the 2025 AFCON after he took over the head coach position from Israelite Avram Grant who mutually separated with FAZ two months ago.
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