I certainly feel for him but tough times lay ahead for Branko Tucak as he single-handedly prepares the Amavubi Stars for the crucial 2010 World and Africa Cup qualifier against Algeria on March 28 in Kigali.

At a time when we thought things could only get better with the return of striker Jimmy Gatete and midfielder Jimmy Mulisa back in the mix, the team’s charismatic assistant coach Raoul Shungu throws in the towel!

Citing personal reasons, Shungu, who is also Rayon Sport head coach, shocked the nation with his sudden but probably valid decision to step aside and concentrate on his club’s push for the national league title, their first, if they win it in five years.

Shungu, despite being an assistant to Tucak, was and will not be the first coach to hold two jobs at the same, and talking of a coach managing both the national team and club concurrently, the name Guus Hiddink springs to mind.

However, is it practical for a coach to seize the two jobs at the time? Certainly it is as Hiddink has proved it with PSV Eindhoven and Australia, Chelsea and Russia.

Yet Sir Alex Ferguson and Kevin Keegan tried it with Aberdeen and Scotland and Fulham and England respectively and it mercilessly hit them back in the face.

As for Shungu, it’s hard to say whether he was successful with it or not, the main reason being, he was in the two jobs at the time for only a short period to be judged, and he was only assistant in one of the jobs—so may be we could judge him better if he was fully in charge of Amavubi and Rayon.

But as far as his short-lived reign as Tucak’s assistant is concerned, insider sources including the players and some technical staff members indicate that his contribution to the team’s reaching this far in the 2010 World and Africa Cup qualifying campaign can not be overstressed.

Tucak was and is still the head coach and so the man with the final say on the team’s formation, tactics and all that stuff, but does that give him the divine right to stifle his assistants’ contribution?

Or further still, if he thought he could it alone and only his way, why did he accept to work with a subordinate in the first place?

See, there’re more questions to the Tucak-Shungu puzzle than answers, unfortunately Tucak, the main player in this tale, isn’t willing to share information with other players, particularly the media, leaving it to feed on speculations.

During his time as Tucak’s assistant, Rayon fans had consistently expressed where they like Shungu to concentrate more and his resignation from the Amavubi job, which they (Rayon fans) think is less significant to them, could not have come at a better time.

With Rayon just two points off the pace in the race for the league title with six matches left on the season, their fans can start dreaming big with their coach now only committed to the club’s cause without having to deal with divided loyalties. This means that Amavubi’s loss is very much Rayon’s gain.

You can tell a winner by how he loses

When Shungu walked away last week after probably realising that the long-strained relations with his immediate boss can never be mended, it got much publicity that even I heard about it.

But has anyone taken a moment to consider the psychological impact this could have on Amavubi and Rayon Sport?

No sooner had he abandoned the Amavubi job than the Minister of Sports and Culture Joseph Habineza came out to applaud him for making "wise decision”! 

"Shungu was hired on a special arrangement. First, a national team coach should not be picked from a club but we picked him to assist the head coach (Branko Tucak) regardless of his coaching post at Rayon Sport.”

"He made really a wise choice and this will allow him to concentrate and prepare his club which is among favourites to win the national league title this year.”

He talks of Shungu having played a key role in the development of football in Rwanda and that he made the right decision to resign and concentrate on his club duties!

Thanks to our good Minister for telling us his mind— as Sports Minister, he had his say when Shungu was being appointed and now he comes out again to have his say when he walks away a forlorn man.

But my wish is that the Minister could have done more to persuade Shungu not to walk away from the team so easily like that at this particular moment when every available contribution to Amavubi’s 2010 World and African Cup qualifying campaign is most needed.

If Minister Habineza thought it was not a wise idea to appoint a club coach for Amavubi assistant coaching role, why did he along with his Ferwafa cronies, go for that option in the first place?

Wasn’t there a better way to react to a coach’s resignation in the press than applauding it as if he was happy to seem the man go? Does anyone smell something fishy here? Way to go Mr. Minister.

Contact: nku78@yahoo.com