Rwanda's national football head coach Stephen Constantine is still in charge of the Amavubi and he will see out the two-year contract he signed in May, according to Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) president Vincent Degaule Nzamwita.
Rwanda’s national football head coach Stephen Constantine is still in charge of the Amavubi and he will see out the two-year contract he signed in May, according to Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) president Vincent Degaule Nzamwita.
Constantine has been linked with a move to coach the India national football team after officials of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) claimed that they had reached an agreement with him.
"I have been in close contact with Constantine on a daily basis and he is still head coach of Amavubi. In fact today (yesterday), he sent us the provisional squad of the national U-23 side that will face Tanzania next month in a friendly match,” explained Nzamwita while speaking to journalists at a media briefing yesterday.
Constantine signed a two-year contract with Ferwafa in May and in an exclusive interview with Times Sport, he said, "In all honesty, I have not received any offer but if you remember, I was announced through the BBC that I was the new coach of Rwanda, and yet I had not agreed, signed or even known about it!”
The Englishman has since transformed the national side after guiding the Amavubi from 134th to 68th on the latest Fifa ranking, becoming the biggest mover in 2014. Rwanda is ranked 19th on the African continent.
In his first game in charge of the Amavubi, Constantine oversaw Rwanda’s shock defeat of 2014 Chan winners Libya in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations first round of qualification qualifying to take on Congo Brazzaville in the next round.
Rwanda lost to Congo Brazzaville 2-0 in Pointe Noir but a strong comeback in the return leg saw the hosts win 2-0 to force a penalty shootout which Amavubi won 4-3 to qualify for the Afcon group stage qualifiers.
However, Caf disqualified Rwanda for fielding Dady Birori, who had another identity. He was also known as Tady Etekiama Agiti.
Despite such setbacks, Constantine maintained the determination with the Amavubi and a goalless draw against Morocco in November helped Rwanda climb 22 places from the 90th position.
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