Ferwafa appoints national coachAfter months of playing hide and seek, the local football’s governing body; Ferwafa has continued its love affair with the former Yugoslavian state of Croatia by appointing Branko Tucak to replace his fellow country man Josip Kuze as the national football team’s coach.
After months of playing hide and seek, the local football’s governing body; Ferwafa has continued its love affair with the former Yugoslavian state of Croatia by appointing Branko Tucak to replace his fellow country man Josip Kuze as the national football team’s coach.
Tucak who has one week before he makes his debut on Amavubi bench has signed a two year deal that will see him guide Rwanda in the forthcoming 2010 World Cup and African Nations cup qualifiers that start on May 30.
Tucak, 56, will be assisted by Raoul Shungu and Eric Nshimiyimana.
Kuze quit the job after signing with Japanese’s JLeague side JEF United.
Kuze had guided Amavubi Stars to a second place finish in last year’s Cecafa Challenge Cup losing on penalties to Sudan in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tucak who has never managed any national team started his managerial career with French third division side Thionville as a coach-player.
The career that spans twenty years has seen the Croat manage teams in France, his native Croatia, Kuwait and Sudan with bitter rivals by Al Hilal and El Merreikh.
As a player Tucak began his professional career with Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb where he had two stints between 1969-1971 and 1975-1980 before embarking on the European voyage that took him to France and Belgium the highest profile clubs that he played for being Fc Metz and Nancy in the French first division.
He has been out of work for a year after managing Croatia premier league club N.K Pula last season.
Tucak is a licenced UEFA Professional trainer.
Tucak’s first serious assignment starts next month when Rwanda plays away to Sudan in the first leg of the African Championship due on May 4 in Khartoum.
Tucak’s biggest challenge will be getting Rwanda back into the 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup when the qualifiers start next month.
Rwanda begin their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign on May 30 with a home match against Mauritania which also signed French international coach Alain Moizan recently to guide them to the 2010 World/African finals.
Rwanda will face Ethiopia away in Addis Ababa on June 7 before hosting the Atlas Lions of Morocco on June 14. The Amavubi Stars will then fly to Rabat on June 21 for a return leg.
On September 7, the 2007 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup losing finalists head to Nouakchott for the second leg against Mauritania before winding up the campaign at home with Ethiopia on October 12.
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