THE inevitable occurred last evening as Branko Tucak was sensationally sacked. The Croat was sacked after Rwanda’s disastrous campaign in the 2010 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers.

To qualify for next year’s event, Rwanda needed to win Zambia’s Chipolopolo by a 2-0 margin. They went in favourites, as the game was at Amahoro but were frustratingly held to a goalless draw, missing out on a ticket to Angola.

The Football Association (Ferwafa)’s executive board voted to end Tucak’s term after holding an emergency meeting last evening.

Under the coach, Amavubi had an unconvincing run of results.

A reliable source told Times Sport last night that the Croat did not have any arguments about the decision.
"The atmosphere was calm and he did not have any queries on the final decision. He said that he had done his best,” the source said.

Away from football, the 57-year-old is in deep sorrow after sad news that one of his brothers recently passed away. He is expected to jet back home this afternoon.

Branko joined Amavubi last April after replacing fellow countryman Josip Kuze, who had moved to Japanese side JEF United Chiba.

He signed a two-year contract with an immediate task of guiding Amavubi to next year’s CAN in Angola.

His first official assignment was on May 4 May when Sudan knocked Rwanda out of the African Nations Championship qualifiers.

He later took Rwanda on an impressive spell after finishing second to Morocco in the second qualifying round of the 2010 Nations Cup but that was about it.

The appalling campaign set in shortly after Amavubi were knocked out in the quarter-finals of last year’s Cecafa Challenge Cup.

Rwanda then lost four of their Group C games to finish bottom of the group. 

Algeria topped the group to secure that lucrative World Cup slot while Egypt and Zambia settled for CAN slots after finishing second and third respectively.

Ends