Kenya’s Hamisi Mohamed is among six coaches across Africa that have been named as finalists in the World Remit Future Stars coaching progamme.
The six coaches will now compete in a public vote on FutureStars.WorldRemit.com for the chance to attend an exclusive training programme with Arsenal Soccer Schools in London which will be sponsored by WorldRemit. Voting opens today.
The six coaches were chosen from a shortlist of 25 individuals who were selected by the judging panel earlier this month. The programme was announced in August 2018.
The six finalists are:
1. Hamisi Mohamed, from Nairobi, Kenya
Hamisi is a founder of Young Talents Soccer Academy, a mixed academy in Embul Bul, Ngong. Together with his friends, Hamisi started the academy over 10 years ago to bring young members of his community together and help them avoid falling into tribalism, drug abuse and crime. He was involved in the Premier Skills programme, a joint venture between the Premier League and the British Council, which further reinforced his belief that football can make a positive impact on society.
If he were to win a coaching session with Arsenal, he would use the opportunity to benefit his local community. He would share the knowledge he gains with others and use it to enrich coaching programs designed to address societal issues.
2. Adegun Shola John from Lagos, Nigeria
Combining his love of football and teaching, Adegun has been a community coach for girls and boys for three years. He is motivated to lead fun training sessions, helping young people unlock their passion for football, avoid social vices and appreciate the value of hard work, friendship and respecting one another.
He would use the opportunity to train with Arsenal coaches to build on his football and coaching skills and enrich the programmes that he leads. He would also share his knowledge with other local coaches to improve the standard of training in the community.
3. Ahmed Ali, Hargeisa, Somaliland
The civil war meant that Ahmed’s opportunities to play were constrained and like many other kids, he ended up playing football in the streets and unsafe areas of Hargeisa. After moving away to the UK and coaching, he returned home to increase the opportunities for both boys and girls to participate in football through the Somaliland Football Academy. Through the academy he has developed the Somaliland Level 1 coaching course and they have trained over 120 male and females coaches in the past year.
4. Innocents Yeboah-Num, from Abease, Pru West District, Ghana
Innocents founded Madonna Sporting Club in Abease in the Pru West District. Passionate about football, he believes that it has the power to lift people out of poverty and is committed to helping children reach their full potential.
He has been teaching under 12, under 15 and under 17 teams for the last seven years. If he won a coaching session with Arsenal FC, he would organise training programmes to share his experience with other coaches and enhance community football across the country.
5. Tersia Davids from Cape Town, South Africa
Tersia’s love of football developed during her primary school days. She graduated from university with a degree in Sport Conditioning and Personal Training and now coaches at Islamia College in Lansdowne, Cape Town. Her coaching style reflects her passion for the sport and she enjoys creating a fun environment for the children that she trains.
She continues to compete as a player for Santos Ladies F.C. and would use the opportunity to train with Arsenal to help her to achieve her long-term goal of setting up an academy to teach girls and boys the foundations of football.
6. Titus Tongesai Sanangurai, Harare, Zimbabwe
Titus began coaching during his years as a player attached to the 1st Division side of DStv Rangers. Having secured his CAF ‘A;’ coaching licence, he joined the Rangers’ coaching staff and his passion for developing young talent led him to coach the DStv Rangers Junior Team. When the team was disbanded he went on to secure support from Old Mutual for grounds and equipment enabling him to set up his own team, Big Stuff Youth Soccer Team. The academy-style team has grown from 6 to 60 players in 2 years.
Having benefited from training from volunteers, Titus says he feels a responsibility to give back. 1 in 4 players at Big Stuff Youth are women and Titus expressed an interest in using the Future Stars experience to highlight the opportunities that exist for female players and to help to create new opportunities for both girls and boys. He believes the experience will help him to open doors to exchange ideas and improve communication at an international level.
The Future Stars coaching progamme was designed to recognise and reward the valuable contribution of youth coaches to their local community and has already granted Arsenal replica shirts to over 500 kids whose coaches were shortlisted for the programme by the judging panel. It is in partnership with Arsenal Football Club. World Remit is a sponsor of the football club.