A TEAM of four American football coaches yesterday arrived in the country to conduct coaching clinics and donate an array of football equipment including footballs, jerseys and boots.

The four, who are carrying a combined coaching experience of 100 years, are in the country to implement a hugely successful exchange programme aimed at empowering Zambian coaches and young leaders.

The soccer exchange programme is funded by the American Department of State's Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs' Sports United Division and is implemented by The Meridian International Center and supported by Northwest Soccer Camp and the Zambian NGO Outreach Community Athletic Foundation OCAF).

OCAF chairperson Kennedy Mubanga named the four coaches as Cliff McCrath, Executive Director, National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials

Association and president, Northwest Soccer Camp; Kim Sutton, head women's soccer coach, Chico State University, Johannes Verhees, seasoned coach, author and speaker and Stephen McCrath, head men's soccer coach, Barry University.

"Four American Soccer coaches are in the country to conduct clinics throughout the country.

This is the second phase of the Empowering Zambian Coaches and Young Leaders through Soccer Exchange Programme.

They will come along with volumes of kit in form of jerseys, footballs, boots among others.

"The exchange programme is a very successful soccer training initiative which, in August this year, brought Zambian coaches and young leaders to America for training alongside American coaches," said Mubanga who is also Exchange Programme Director.

The four will conduct clinics and donate in Lusaka at OYDC tomorrow before shifting to Livingstone at Bharat Sports Complex on Wednesday the following day and will go to Kasama on Tuesday, November 13 and complete the tight programme with a date in Ndola at Kafubu Stadium on Thursday November 15.

The focus of the clinics is to implement clinics on soccer coaching techniques, as well as strategies for incorporating social development into the soccer programming in the country.

During Phase-One up to 13 Zambian participants travelled to Seattle, Washington and Washington DC where they attended leadership training on action planning, volunteer management and organisational management and it is expected that Phase Two will build on that.

"Together and by acting in unity we can add the much needed value in developing soccer initiatives in the Communities," Mubanga said.