It makes me laugh, and I mean laughing aloud, moreover to myself every time the thought of Rayon Sports loyal faithful daring to think that Jean Pierre Raoul Shungu is the answer to their unending troubles that have put the club into an awkward state of affairs.

To an outsider, Rayon (here I’m talking about whoever is connected it (club) from top to bottom), is a club worth the salt, but to an insider, the club is rocked in stern mess beyond (where) the eye can see. And that’s trouble but at least not at a crisis level, just yet.

For years, APR has overshadowed their main adversary in terms of everything on and off the field and as a result of that, have taken all the limelight right from the media down to the layman on the street—even rival fans are very much aware of this (fact).

Because of their relative success over the years, the military side, nine-time national league and two-time regional champions have taken much of the media scrutiny.

However, while APR have ‘suffered’ the total wrath of the media especially where things seem not to go right, so much dirt has continued to take rounds inside Rayon and other local clubs behind door.

For five good years I have been closely involved in Rwandan sports, mainly football, I’ve come to realize that Rayon Sports and Kiyovu Sports Club are two most troubled topflight football clubs. No malice here, it’s just a simple hard fact.

Like I put it earlier, to an outsider, it could really hard to believe the kind of mess that goes on inside these two oldest clubs in the country along side Mukura but when you take time to get a closer picture of them, you’d be able to know how severe the situation is.

From year to year, there are reports of in-house struggle for power—for decades these two clubs have been ruled by factions (at least it’s widely confirmed), each faction fighting the other and vicious circle goes on and on.

Of the two clubs, at least one, Rayon has the potential to battle APR for local supremacy but because all their members don’t speak the ‘same language’, the vice has gone on to haunt their club—evidence is there for everyone to see (four league titles in 13 years, compare that to APR’s nine in as many years).

Among the so called big ‘four’ (APR, Atraco Rayon and Kiyovu), it’s only at the later two that players and coaches alike, go for months without pay, the fans are ever divided, officials fight one another for power, the list is endless.

As you read this, Rayon is going through a turbulent time with a large section of club officials and their ever vocal but above all, influential fans are against the current leadership of businessman Paul Muvunyi and they want him out by hook or crook!

At Rayon, it’s no secret that officials, for one reason or another, embezzle club money in millions—this no fantasy, it‘s a reality but after all, it isn’t something uncommon at the club. This and more grave things do go on quite often behind doors.

And after ending last season on a high, where they were piped to the league title by APR on the very last day of the season, morale and confidence among the club loyal faithful rose to level higher than it has been in about four years going into the new season.

Nonetheless, as it has become a tradition, the start to the 2008 season could not start in a more disappointing manner that just a win and two defeats after three rounds of matches for the Blues, who in the last 13 seasons, have been APR’s traditional main challengers for the league title.

The last coach to guide Rayon to the league glory back in 2004 was Raoul Shungu and after three years of playing second best to APR, coupled with the emergence of Atraco Fc, the club administrators and the fans alike, have turned to the charismatic Congolese trainer for salvation.

During his first spell at Rayon between 1998 and 2004, the 48-year-old steered Rwanda’s most supported club to three league titles (1998, 2002 and 2004) but most notable was when he guided them to the Cecafa club championship in 1999, the first by a Rwandan club. 

Since he left, Rayon has hired and sacked seven coaches either because they had failed to satisfy the club fans’ high expectations or due to the internal tedious politics.

Now, because he knows how desperate Rayon want him back, Shungu is calling the tune—I hear he wants a hefty fee (which remains a top secret, until now) as sign-on fee on top being paid about $3000 in monthly wages as well as private car and house! I call that calling the tune.

Whether Rayon can afford such monies to give to a man who, during his three-year absence, Rwandan football has changed to a considerable degree, remains another story altogether.

Since Shungu left, at least every local club has hired a better coach but above all, there is a certainly a new bull in the kraal in Atraco under such a talented coaching pair of Jean Marie Ntagwabira and Emmanuel Ruremesha. This pair is probably the finest in the league.

However, the million-dollar question is, without the club members putting their selfish personal differences aside first, could Shungu be the solution to their traditional problems?

The flow is theirs to answer that (question) but in the meantime; you know where to find me for your comments, suggestions, but of course not insults. Happy New Year once again.

Contact: nku78@yahoo.com