17 May 2023 – SAFA Technical Director, Walter Steenbok is one of the selected 25 participants of FIFA’s prestigious new Technical Leadership Diploma launched in Brazil this week.

Steenbok joined other selected Technical Leaders from Member Associations and Confederations from around the globe at the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) Training Complex in Rio de Janeiro for block one of the 18-month-long course. 

The FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma aims to become the ‘globally recognized qualification’ for Technical Leaders working in the game and will prepare participants for the distinct challenges and opportunities faced by a Technical Leader within a Member Association. Five core domain areas which were covered in the first block of the course were:

 Technical Leadership

 High Performance 

 Coach Education 

 Amateur Football 

 Management 

“We are delighted to have welcomed Walter Steenbok onto our new Technical Leadership Diploma,” said Steven Martens, FIFA Director of Global Football Development.

“The role of the Technical Leader is crucial to the future of football and one we believe should have greater recognition.’’

Over the last few years, FIFA has been working closely with Member Associations to develop a number of programmes, such as the Talent Development Scheme (TDS). 

‘’The successful implementation of these programmes rely on the leadership of Technical Leaders. So, naturally, we want to support, develop and work alongside Technical Leaders to help them become the very best they can be and, as a result, help develop the game,” added Martens. 

SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao praised FIFA’s programmes saying the world football governing body was walking the talk.

“We really want to thank FIFA for their commitment and investment in developing future technical leaders. The knowledge and insight that SAFA Technical Director (Steenbok) will gain from this experience will go a long way in building the long-term development strategy and sustainable high-performance programme for our football,” says Lydia Monyepao, SAFA CEO.

SAFA Technical Director spoke to www.www.safa.net saying that it is a huge honour to join a group of highly esteemed technical direrctors from around the world in this inaugural FIFA Leadership Diploma in Brazil.

“Over the past few days, we explored the Brazilian culture, delved into the aspects of National Playing Identity, Strategic visioning, various case studies of member associations, observed the youth national team (Under-20) of Brazil, and learned a lot about leadership and team management from former Selecao coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.

The interaction among different technical experts, presentations, and practical tasks makes this Technical Leadership Diploma an interesting and collaborative experience that will certainly help me as I embark on a journey to be a global football leader,” concluded Steenbok.

What is globally recognized qualification’ for Technical Leaders?

The FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma is the first qualification of its kind and aims to become the ‘globally recognized qualification’ for Technical Leaders working in the game. 

“Currently, there is no single award or accreditation that allows an individual to become a Technical Leader in a Member Association,” explains Jamie Houchen, FIFA Head of Technical Leadership. “If a Member Association is looking to hire a Technical Leader, there is no benchmark for quality. We believe the FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma will become the globally recognized qualification for Technical Leaders and produce the very highest quality of graduates to lead football around the world.” 

Following the six-day workshop in Brazil, the 25 participants will begin their own personal project focused on their own unique context as well as following a programme of online learning. The cohort will meet again for six days in Japan in December with two further face-to-face events to follow in 2024.   

All 25 participants listed below received a personal invite to join the programme;

RICARDO LEAO – BRAZIL FA

AABED ALANSARI – BAHRAIN FA 

ROSS AWA – GUAM FA 

INDRA SJAFRI – INDONESIA FA 

BASSEM MOHAMAD – LEBANESE FA

CARLES ROMAGOSA – THAILAND FA

BHEKISISA BOY MKHONTA – ESWATINI FA 

BENJAMIN KUMWENDA – MALAWI FA

JAQUELINE SHIPANGA – NAMIBIA FA 

WALTER STEENBOK – SOUTH AFRICAN FA

ALI MWEBE – UGANDA FA

LYSON ZULU – ZAMBIA FF

IVÁN NOVELLA – COLOMBIAN FF 

ANTON CORNEAL – TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FA

LUIS CASTRO – ARGENTINE FA 

STIPE PLETIKOSA – CROATIA FF 

KAY COSSINGTON – ENGLISH FA 

JANNO KIVISILD – ESTONIAN FA

MARIANS PAHARS – LATVIAN FF 

DIANA BULGARU – MOLDOVA FA 

ANDREW GOULD – SCOTTISH FA

LILI BAI – ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION 

JAYNE LUDLOW – MANCHESTER CITY – WOMEN 

PATRICIA GONZALEZ – FIFA 

BUMAN-UCHRAL BOLD – MONGOLIAN FF

For more information about the FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma visit the FIFA Training Centre: www.fifatrainingcentre.com