From left, are HBUFC CEO Dali Fekenisi, SV Werder Bremen head of business development Dominik Kupilas, HBUFC CO-CEO Iris Henkel and SV Werder Bremen international relations consultant Sebastian Schleicher.
Hout Bay football coaches will have the chance to learn from some of the world’s best football tacticians after the Hout Bay United Football Community (HBUFC) secured a partnership with German Bundesliga football club, SV Werder Bremen.
On Monday, the HBUFC hosted delegates representing SV Werder Bremen for a coaches workshop at its Riverside Terrace offices and a stadium bus tour, according to the non-profit organisation’s CEO, Iris Henkel.
HBUFC offers mentorship, coaching, and educational programmes to children, teens, and young adults, helping them develop life skills and improve their academic performance and football talent.
“Our coaches learnt a great deal from the workshop that were focused on utilising small spaces, playing at speed and staying calm in high-pressure situations,” said Ms Henkel.
“With this partnership, there will be the opportunity that coaches, who fulfil the criteria and have the talent to become coaches, go overseas to shadow and meet other coaches.”
Both clubs would also support programmes in the community that promoted life skills and gender equity in sport, Ms Henkel added.
HBUFC youth administrator and under-14 girls head coach Nikelwa Mdemka, 24, said she hoped to travel abroad and develop her coaching skills.
“I’m really looking forward to this partnership, as I can imagine myself going overseas for few months to shadow their female coaches and can develop my coaching skills for my work here in Hout Bay.”
Asked what had inspired the clubs to join forces, Werder Bremen’s head of business development, Dominik Kupilas, said: “South Africa is a target market of the Bundesliga and our club as well, and we always want to make a contribution in empowering the local community through football.
“When we visited HBUFC, we were really impressed with their vision and the work they do. We held good talks about a potential future cooperation and hope to continue the development of local football by hosting coaching clinics with the Hout Bay coaches.“
For more information, contact Iris Henkel at 078 457 0047.