The Football Association visited all three of its UEFA-CAF Meridian Project partners during May to monitor the improvement in football coaching at all levels in the game.

Botswana and Malawi both received In-Service Training for Senior Coaches, calling upon the vastly-experienced FA coach, Colin Morris.

He delivered two three-day assessment workshops where football coaches were put through their paces in a rigorous fitness examination. They were also expected to demonstrate their coaching techniques.

Colin said: “The feedback from the coaches on both courses was very positive and I was impressed by the progress made by both the Botswana and Malawi football associations.”

And in Lesotho, The FA demonstrated its continuing commitment to improving standards in the women’s game by staging a second girls’ football development workshop in the space of seven months at LEFA headquarters in Maseru.

More than 30 delegates returned for the second phase of coaching, which saw them learn how to become football tutors themselves and how to organise mini-football festivals. FA coaches John Ackerley and Lucy Wellings delivered the training over two days. The workshop culminated in each of the coaches displaying their newly-acquired skills at a local SOS Children’s Village, where over 40 girls took part in a number of football drills.

“There have been some exciting improvements since October, including the development of new teams, a volunteers’ workshop and increased media coverage,” said FA Regional Development Manager Lucy Wellings.

“The opportunity to improve standards of coaching was welcomed and all of the participants showed a real desire to transfer their knowledge gained in the classroom to the training ground.

“The FA hopes that LEFA will now match our own commitment to developing women’s football and reap the rewards of introducing girls to the game.”