Rayon Sports captain Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye has backed new head coach Olivier Karekezi and his assistants Hamadi Ndikumana and Ramadhan Nkunzingoma to be a success and admitted that he is delighted to work with the former Rwanda internationals.

Bakame said this after completing the first training session under the new coaching staff on Friday at Mumena stadium in Nyamirambo, noting that he hopes the trio hits the ground running because they have achieved so much in their playing career.

"They (new coaches) were wonderful players and they all had good playing careers and on that ground, we expect them to bring success to Rayon Sports. We will work hard for them as team because we’re looking to achieve more,” said Bakame.

The Rwanda international added that, "The coaches have talked to us and laid down their plans and what they expcted to achieve. They want to build winning team that also plays good football. Honestly, I’m happy to work with them to help the team get better and win more trophies.”

"He (Karekezi) is a top professional and in just one day, he has proved that he is here to win and be successful with Rayon Sports, and we all believe he will. He knows our football, so let’s work together as we have done in the last two seasons,” noted Bakame, a former Amavubi teammate with Karekezi.

The Azam Rwanda Premier League champions have appointed Karekezi on a two-year deal subject to extension. The former APR FC captain replaces Djuma Masudi, who resigned early this month after guiding the Blues to the eighth league title.

As part of their preparations for next season, Rayon Sports will play their first pre-season friendly game on Wednesday against a selected side.

Karekezi will also take his team to Tanzania where they will play against Simba SC in Dar es Salaam on August 8. The new season is penciled to begin in September but the dates have not yet been set.

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