After making a perfect start to the 2017 season, newly appointed AS Kigali head coach Shaban Mbarushimana has vowed to consolidate the club’s success that has seen them dominate the women football league for the past seven years under his predecessor Grace Nyinawumuntu.

Since their formation in 2008, this is the first season that the City-Sponsored club will be under the guidance of another head coach other than Nyinawumuntu who was sacked by AS Kigali in March following allegations of what the club described as indiscipline and causing divisions in the dressing room.

The club said they took the decision to axe their long-serving coach, one of the club’s founding members, after carrying out "thorough investigations” on what Nyinawumuntu was being accused of.

She was found guilty on all the allegations levelled against her including giving preferential treatment to some players, while others were being discriminated against, the club said.

They then replaced her with Mbarushimana who was working as an assistant coach for AS Kigali men’s football team on a two-year contract.

Last Saturday, Mbarushimana took charge of his first league game in which the reigning champions were playing away, against  their all-time archrivals Kamonyi which they won 2-1 to kick off the 2017 season flying.

"This is a winning club and that remains the same objective but during the season break we lost very many players to other clubs. I am trying to rebuild the team and I hope last Saturday’s win was a good starting point,” he said

"We lost about 15 players but the good thing is that I have full support from the players I remained with, we are very focused and I believe the winning streak will remain the same,” he added

AS Kigali women have won the league seven times back to back under Nyinawumuntu.

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