*Shungu appointed new Amavubi coach
*Ntagwabira, Rutsindura sacked
*Nshimiyimana, Higiro on board

Rayon Sports coach Raoul Shungu has been appointed Amavubi Stars interim head coach as the search for the permanent choice rages on.

While confirming Shungu’s surprise appointment, Ferwafa president Brig. Gen. John Bosco Kazura told Times Sport yesterday that the appointment is simply a short-term.

"Antoinne (Rutsindura) and Jean Marie (Ntagwabira) have been relieved of their duties and have been replaced by Shungu who we think is a better choice," Kazura explained.

Shungu will be assisted by Eric Nshimiyimana while Thomas Higiro remains in charge of the goalkeepers.

The Congolese coach makes his debut on April 15 when Rwanda travel to Bujumbura to take Intamba ku Rugamba in the return leg of the inaugural Africa Nations Championships preliminary round second.

The Amavubi Stars take a slender 1-0 advantage into the second but of the Burundians repeat the performance in Kigali, two weeks ago; they should be favourites to win in their own backyard.

Shungu guided Rayon to the second round of this year’s African Confederation Cup championship before being eliminated 3-0 on goals aggregate by Sudanese side El Merreikh.

The charismatic Congolese coach returned to Rayon in December for a second spell after three years in Seychelles where he was head coach of their national team and their football federation technical director.

During his first stint, Shungu guided Rayon Sport to the 1998 Cecafa Club Championship title, 2002 and 2004 national football league title as well as 1998 Amahoro Cup.

Ferwafa’s hunt for a permanent team head coach to replace Josip Kuze has taken longer than thought.

Kuze’s resigned the job in January, four months after penning a two year deal to take over Japanese premier club JEF United Chiba where he received a better offer.

His departure came as a shock to many after helping Rwanda finish second at last year’s GTV Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Before his departure, Kuze recommended fellow Croat and U-20 coach Tomislav Obradovic for the Amavubi top job.

Kuze was the second coach from former Yugoslavia federation to take charge of the Rwandan national team after his predecessor, Serb Ratomir Djuckovic left a huge impact in Rwanda after leading the team to its maiden appearance at the African Nations Cup in 2004 and he later led Ghana to the second round of World Cup 2006 in Germany where they lost to Brazil.

After a month with the Amavubi Stars, Ferwafa decided to hand the national team with the local coaching duo of Ntagwabira and Rutsindura and this has not lasted long before being sacked due to what Kazura described as "unproductive results".

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