AS Kigali and Amavubi Assistant Coach, Eric Nshyimiyimana is confident new recruit Jimmy Gatete (Pic) still has the hunger to play at the top level.

Nshyimiyimana has been a long time admirer of Gatete and has decided to gamble on the striker who has proven himself a prolific scorer at both club and international level when fit.

Gatete joined the Kigali City Council (KCC) side on Saturday on a free transfer.

In an exclusive interview with Times Sport, Nshyimiyimana said the Amavubi striker is keen on proving his critics wrong this season.

"He is here because I know what he is capable of. He is an ambitious player and there is no doubt that he is determined to prove his critics wrong this season,” the former Amavubi midfielder said.

"His scoring instincts will be crucial for us this season. I’m also certain that the young lads in the squad will learn a lot from him,” Nshyimiyimana added.

Nshyimiyimana is targeting a top three finish in the coming season.

Meanwhile, Gatete has denied claims by Rayon Sport that he demanded huge sums of money before signing a new contract.

"They (Rayon Sport) have never contacted me at all to discuss my stay at the club ever since the league ended six weeks ago,” he said.

"The only time I tried talking to them, they told me that they did not have money so when Nshyimiyimana contacted me and he told me about the vision of the club, I made up my mind.” 

"I have not signed yet but I hope to do so in the next few days,” he continued.

Gatete joined Rayon Sport two years ago from arch-rivals APR for a second stint having played for the blues during 1996-2000. The new season starts October 17.

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