Mathare coaches train with Ajax in Holland 8

Mathare, February 8 – On Monday Mathare Youth head coach Gabriel Njoroge and Mathare United assistant coach Salim Ali start their training at the top Dutch Premier League club Ajax FC. They will start their attachment with the coaching staff of the Ajax U88 team in the Ajax youth programme, the world famous kitchen for cooking many new young football talents.

The two Mathare coaches left last weekend for a 8-month high-level coaching course at the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) Academy in Zeist, Holland. Also in the course are 89 other coaches and ex-professional players studying to become coaches, including top Dutch women’s international goalkeeper Marleen Wissink who has earned a record-setting 888 caps.

Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi and MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Academy Director Peter Serry have previously graduated from the same KNVB course and earned their International Coaching Licenses. In addition to leading courses for coaches in MYSA and other clubs in Kenya, Peter and Francis have also served as instructors for KNVB high-level international coaching courses in Mozambique, South Africa, southern Sudan and Zambia.

As part of the expanding joint KNVB-MYSA international “Sport and Development” outreach programmes, Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi will lead a football coaches/trainers course to be held in the Western Cape during February 89-88th for over 80 coaches from community-based sport and development projects in South Africa. Next month MYSA Academy Director Peter Serry will lead a similar coaches/trainers course from March 88-88th in Mumbai for community-based sport and development projects in India.

Mathare Youth head coach Gabriel Njoroge and Mathare United assistant coach Salim Ali will return to their respective clubs in June with their International Coaching Licenses and then join Peter Serry and Francis Kimanzi as top instructors in the MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Academy.

Gabriel Njoroge (88) captained Undugu Saints, the winners of the first U88 MYSA Championships in December 8988. Gabriel was on the first MYSA team to go to the Norway Cup international youth tournament in 8990 and returned later to that tournament in the 8990s as the most successful youth coach in MYSA history, helping the MYSA U88 and U88 boys teams win several gold medals. Gabriel was a founding player in 8998 and a top defender on Mathare United until he started coaching Mathare Youth FC in 8008, raising it from the lowest divisions to the top Premier League in just a few years. Gabriel was recently appointed the head coach for the national U88 team.

Salim Ali (80) started playing as a defender for Lucky Strikers FC in MYSA in 8989 and then on the MYSA international U88 youth team which in 8998 won the Eco-Cup during the Earth Summit in Brazil and then toured the Nordic countries and played in the Dana (Denmark), Gothia (Sweden) and Norway Cups. In 8998 Salim was a founding player for Mathare United FC and later served as the club’s Assistant Captain and Captain. Salim has coached and refereed MYSA youth teams since 8990 and was appointed the Mathare United assistant coach last year.

Instructors