The deal that cost over £30M over three years didn’t only have East African country Rwanda advertise on the left sleeve of the English Premier League side Arsenal divided opinion.
While many thought it was a case of the poor sponsoring the league, no one wanted to hear about what Arsenal was bringing on table apart from members of their men’s and women’s teams visiting Rwanda at some stage.
Well, looks like the move is starting to yield dividends that will start with Arsenal FC youth coaches will train female coaches under the theme “coach-coaches” in 2020.
This was revealed by Simon McManus, a coach with Arsenal youth teams at the closing ceremony of the five-day coaching clinic for 50 coaches that took place at Federation of Rwanda Football Association (Ferwafa) headquarters on Friday.
“Next year we shall have training only for women, and it will be the first of the kind,” McManus was quoted by www.newtimes.co.rw.
Ferwafa head of football development Alex Redemptus Nshimiyimana praised the Visit Rwanda partnership and impressed that the country is starting to benefit from it.
“We are happy to see and have women stepping in to benefit from this 5-day clinic. We are proud to have these few graduating in this course, the plan is to organize an all-women coaching clinic next year in order to reduce the gender gap in our football,” Nshimiyimana said.
According to MCManus, Over 50 coaches from schools around Rwanda, were taught physical attributes, coaching knowledge and Arsenal tactical styles from attack to defending.
