The search for the national football team (Amavubi Stars)’coach has reached its advanced stages after a consultative meeting between the local football governing body (Ferwafa) and the Sports ministry.

The game’s top stakeholders held a closed door meeting yesterday to scrutinize the numerous applicants for the hot seat. What conspired during the meeting was unavailable before press time.

Rwanda is looking for a new head coach after refusing to renew Michael Nees’ contract following Rwanda’s failure to qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana. The Amavubi Stars finished third in their qualifying group, nine points behind group leaders Cameroon.

The German signed a one-year renewable contract with Ferwafa last September but Ferwafa opted not to renew his contract after failing to sail Rwanda through to Ghana.

It is the second time that Rwanda has failed to make it to Africa’s major football show piece since 2004 when they broke the jinx.

Applicant’s agent speaks out

In an interview with Times Sports, Angel Pastor Sanz, a Fifa licensed agent for Ivo Sajh Scheich one of the applicants for the Amavubi vacant post revealed that Scheich is the right man for the post basing on his vast experience in Africa and Asia.

Ivo sajh’s only African experience was in 2003 when he was the coach of Nigerian club Jasper United and Fc Tahaddi of Libya second biggest city Benghazi.

Advocates for Youth development programs

When asked on his client’s programmes for Rwanda if selected, Sanz revealed that his client’s successful record on setting up youth development programmes in Asia and his native Slovenia speaks for its self.

"I can assure you that if Scheich takes over the coaching duties of your national team, he will be of great success and he has worked on various successful youth development programs in Asia and Africa before” said Sanz.

Adding that since 1994, Ivo sajh has seen the development of more than fifty-seven into national team players and good players for premier league teams in various countries in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

In March 1996 Ivo sajh authored a Fifa approved technical teaching manual for technicians training youth teams as well as professional teams.

Ivo sajh previous work

In 1994 he was the coach of Slovenia Premier League club FC Beltinci. In 1998 Ivo Sajh was a Technical Director (Head National Coach) of all Indian National Football Teams.

Between 2000-2001 the Rwandan team coach hopeful was the Director of coaching and Development of the Myanmar Football Federation and also National Coach of the national team.

During his work in Asia he prepared and guided coaching seminars about modern football for local coaches.

Unsuccessful applications

Between 1995 and 2004 Ivo applied for the then vacant national team coaching positions of Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Georgia, Guam, Tanzania and Slovenia and also in the clubs from Premier Leagues of Australia, Austria, China,Iran, England, Russia, Singapore, USA and Vietnam.

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