Why Tanzanian clubs hire foreign coaches

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has said lack of professionalism, superstitious beliefs and lack of confidence are the main causes that make many football leaders to prefer foreign coaches, especially in the Mainland Premier League.

Currently, Tanzania has many foreign coaches who have been given the mandate to lead the technical benches of various teams. Out of 20 clubs, nine are under foreign coaches.

Mainland champions Simba is now under Belgium tactician Patrick Aussems who is assisted by Masoud Djuma from Burundi, Adel Zrane (Tunisia) and goalkeepers’ trainer Mwarami Mohamed, who is Tanzanian. Young Africans is also under foreign coach Mwinyi Zahera who is assisted by Zambian Noel Mwandila, while Azam FC is under head coach Hans Van der Pluijm and KMC under Burundian coach Etienne Ndayiragije.

For its part African Lyon is coached by Frenchman Soccoia Lionel, while Ramadhani Nsazurwimo from Rwanda coaches Mbeya City. Ali Bizimungu (Rwanda) is currently managing Mwadui FC. The list also includes Amars Niyongabo (Burundi) who trains Stand United and Hitimana Thierry (Rwanda) who trains Biashara.

Local coaches in the Mainland League are Zubeir Katwila (Mtibwa Sugar), Mecky Mexime (Kagera Sugar), Abdulmutik Haji (Ruvu Shooting), Abdallah Bares (Tanzania Prisons), Bakari Shime (Ruvu Stars), Malale Hamsini (Ndanda), Mbwana Makata (Alliance) and Hemed Morocco who coaches Singida United.

TFF Technical director Oscar Mirambo says some coaches are not committed in their duties and lack confidence in their duties, which leads them into believing in witchcraft, contrary to what they have learnt in coaching courses.

As a result, he explained that football leaders were slowly changing their minds and looking for foreign coaches to head their teams.

“Not all coaches have such beliefs though, some of them are committed and do their job professionally. But also there some teams find it fashionable to hire foreign coaches. They copy other teams so that they can become fashionable,” said Mirambo. He said that many Tanzanian coaches were qualified to teach football all over the world, but some of them were jobless.

“In our database, we have many qualified coaches, but only two are currently working abroad; one is in charge of a First Division team in Rwanda and the other, Denis Kitambi, is in Malaysia working as an assistant coach,” said Mirambo.

Lipuli FC head coach Selemani Matola says the situation has been contributed with club leaders who do not honour their profession. He says many local coaches are treated poorly. He adds that as a result they fail to meet their targets and end up losing their jobs.

“We have our values, but no one considers us... when you submit your training programme and budget, no one responds to it. But this does not happen to foreign coaches who are given all help.

“How many foreign coaches have been sacked despite the huge salaries they are paid? We are paid poorly due to the perception that we are cheap labour,” laments Matola.