Rwanda national volleyball team opposite attacker Lawrence Guma Yakan has signed for Turkish second division side Payas Belediye Spor Voleybol on a one-year contract.

Yakan has joined his national teammate and captain Christophe Mukunzi who extended his contract with Payas Belediye Spor Voleybol last month. Yakan had just spent four months at APR.

Since 2011, Yakan has played for Etoile Sportive Setif of Algeria, where he spent the last three years before signing for Turkish side Palandoken Belediye – Erzurum last year. The club is in the Turkish Super League (first division) but the 28-year-old was released by the Turkish side in November after suffering a knee ligament injury. He had played for the team for just three months.

After recovering from injury, Yakan signed for APR at the start of the league but he again got another knee injury in May during the Genocide Memorial Tournament but he came back in July for the African Nations Championship where Rwanda finished in sixth position.

Playing in Europe for Mukunzi and Guma was because of a decision by the Algeria Volleyball Federation to prohibit foreign players in their local league.

Two years ago, Guma helped L’Etoile Sportif de Setif to win the Super Cup and was named the Most Valuable Player.

Yakan has been a regular player on the national team for the last 10 years and his move will be a big boost for the national team side.

Ugandan-born Yakan started his career at Ugandan side Sport-S before joining Kigali Volleyball Club (KVC) in 2005 from where he signed for APR two years later before joining Algerian side Etoile Sportif Setif in 2011.

Other players who will be playing as professionals this year include the 21-year-old Nelson Murangwa who signed for Denmark first division side Middelfart Volleyball Club.