PIERRE Marshall Kwizera is keen on inspiring Gisagara to their third national volleyball league title as he looks to make history of clinching the championship in his maiden season as a coach.

Kwizera, 33, called time on his playing career – that spanned 15 years – last year after helping Rwanda Energy Group (REG) to their historic first league title.

Now, he says, the target is to convince his bosses that he is the right man for the Gisagara dugout on long-term after taking a bet on him with a one-year contract at the start of the 2019-20 season.

"I believe we are capable of winning the [league] title but it will depend on the fitness of players and how quickly we pick up momentum when the championship resumes in September,” said the Rwanda international.

Gisagara, the reigning CAVB Zone V champions, topped the table with 21 points – level with second-placed REG – before the league was suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kwizera added: "There is no error margin in the title race, winning all the remaining games is the only guarantee. The players understand the challenge well, everyone has to give their very best.”

During his playing career, Kwizera featured for and won league titles with APR, UNIK, Gisagara and REG. He also played for Umubano Blue Tigers, Lycée de Nyanza, and now-defunct Rayon Sports and Kigali Volleyball Club.

In international volleyball, the veteran centre-blocker helped Rwanda to win the CAVB Africa Zone V Championship in 2011, 2013 and 2015, featured at several editions of the African Volleyball Championships and he was part of the team that finished fourth at the 2011 and 2015 All-Africa Games in Mozambique and Congo-Brazzaville, respectively.

Kwizera, who also played for Algerian side OMK El Milia for the 2013 season, retired from international volleyball in 2017.

Pierre Marshal Kwizera. File