Godfroid Okoko has left Azam Rwanda Premier League side Gicumbi FC as head coach and reportedly joined DR Congo side Bukavu Dawa on a two-year contract.

The Burundian tactician helped Gicumbi survive relegation on the final day of last season and was rewarded with a two-year contract extension ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.

He did guide them to a 1-0 victory against Espoir FC in the opening match of this season last weekend, but little did Gicumbi fans know that that would probably be his last game in charge.

According to Gicumbi FC secretary-general Antoine Dukuzumuremyi, Okoko left the club on Monday saying that he was going to Burundi to attend to urgent family matters, only for the club officials to hear that he had joined Bukavu Dawa later.

"He asked for permission to go back home in Burundi, and, officially, we are still waiting for him to return to continue his work because he only signed a two-year contract extension last month. But, if by Monday he will not have come back we will decide on the next action,” Dukuzumuremye told Saturday Sport.

He added: "He has a clause in his contract that stops him from taking up another job without first informing us so that we sit down and see if it is possible to let him take up any such opportunity.”

In Okoko’s absence, the team is under the guidance of assistant coach Methode Kamali. Efforts by this paper to contact Okoko proved futile as his known phone line was off.

Before joining Gicumbi at the start of last season, Okoko had coached several other Rwandan clubs, including; La Jeunesse, SC Kiyovu, Amagaju, Musanze FC and Mukura Victory Sports.

Gicumbi finished 14th in the 16-team league last season with 28 points, one above SC Kiyovu, who were subsequently relegated before making a surprise return to the topflight league after Isonga FC decided against playing in the first division despite having been promoted from the second tier.

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