Big Caf recognition for Fran Hilton-Smith

Globally-renowned South African coaching instructor Fran Hilton-Smith received two notable appointments this week that place her at the very forefront of the game on the continent.

Hilton-Smith will attend a conference for women’s national team coaches in Amsterdam on November 6 after being put forward by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) as their lone delegate to represent the continent at the Uefa-organised event.

She was then honoured again by Caf by being the only woman named on their 17-member technical and development committee that will be tasked with improving the standard of the game on the continent until 2019.

“Both are a huge honour to me and I am grateful for the opportunities‚” Hilton-Smith told TimesLIVE.

“The Uefa conference is vitally important because it allows me to get updated information to bring back to coaches in our country and across Africa. It is an opportunity to be at the cutting edge of the women’s game and an experience that‚ sadly‚ most coaches will never get.”

Hilton-Smith has also been reelected to the Caf technical and development committee that will now be headed by Zambian legend Kalusha Bwalya.

“With Kalusha as president I hope that a lot more will be achieved‚” Hilton-Smith said.

“We do referees and coaches courses‚ we monitor the various competitions and obviously look after everything related to football development.”

Hilton-Smith says she hopes to use her position on the committee to try and push forward with some plans she has.

“I would like to see them develop a Champions League-style competition for women’s clubs so that the winners in each block‚ for example Southern Africa‚ North Africa‚ East Africa and so on‚ play to determine a winner.

“I would also like to see the African Women’s Championship played every year‚ while for me it is also important that we do away with home and away qualifiers for Under-17 and Under-20 women’s World Cup as all that happens is that teams withdraw.

“It is so expensive to travel for a qualifier that teams opt out of and then the players miss out on the opportunity of competing. I would like to see a finals tournament like the senior women have.”

Hilton-Smith is also technical director of women's football for the South African football Association.