The coaches in the Mainland Premier League have welcomed the proposal by the world body to have five substitutions
Top coaches in Tanzania have welcomed the move by the world governing body, Fifa, to increase the number of substitutions from three to five, once the leagues resume.
The proposal is designed for players’ safety amid fixture congestion when the leagues resume worldwide after the coronavirus is contained.
However, the trainers have cautioned the latest proposal must be well applied otherwise; it could affect the team’s rhythm.
Young Africans (Yanga SC) assistant coach, Boniface Mkwasa, said Fifa’s decision was good because it will give coaches an opportunity to adjust the playing system and possibly correct their mistakes in a game.
“It is a good thing as the coach gets a chance to improve the team, thus, it requires the technical bench to be careful as it is a large a number of players that you will have to substitute and those changes may have both sides of results; positive or negative,” Mkwasa is quoted by Daily News.
“On a positive side it could inject some more energy due to fresh legs but on the negative side it could change the rhythm of the game as it might take time for substituted players to get into the game.”
Mkwasa’s sentiments were equally supported by Mtibwa Sugar coach Zubery Katwila, who said the proposal was fantastic but shouldn’t be something to celebrate for coaches.
He insisted coaches must play their cards well when it comes to using all five subs as proposed by Fifa as it could change the rhythm of the team completely and subsequently affect results.
“It could as well help inject much more energy and pace into the team as much more fresh legs will be deployed,” the former Mtibwa Sugar and Taifa Stars winger explained to Daily News.
Under the proposal, teams will be able to make up to five substitutions to help players cope with fixture congestion amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The substitutions will be allowed in a maximum of three in-play slots and at half-time to avoid unnecessary stoppages but are being proposed in recognition of the long layoff and anticipated high volume of matches if and when games resume.
The Fifa proposal is subject to the approval of the game’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), and competitions such as the Mainland Premier League, who would then decide whether to implement it.
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