NATIONAL FOOTBALL league giants Rayon Sports FC have appointed former defender Sosthene Habimana as the team’s new assistant coach.

Habimana, who was head coach of second division side SEC Academy last season, replaces Billy Mbusa Koumbi, who has been holding the position since 2011. Mbusa was assistant coach under Didier Gomez da Rosa, who led the club to the first league in nine years in 2013.

The development was confirmed by club president Theogene Ntampaka in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

"We have agreed with Habimana to be our next assistant coach to serve under head coach Jean Francois Losciuto,” Ntampaka informed Times Sport.

Habimana sealed the assistant coach job after beating off competition from Abdu Mbarushimana and Alphonse Gatera, who went on to take the head coach job at Rusizi-based Espoir FC.

Habimana was part of the Rwanda B team that won the 1999 Cecafa senior challenge title.