Constantine resigns from Amavubi

Rwanda’s national football team head coach Stephen Constantine has resigned from his job, the Ferwafa spokesman Moussa Hakizimana confirmed last evening. The Englishman, who took over the Amavubi job last May, cited a better deal from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and informed Ferwafa via email that his tenure with Rwanda had come to an end. “Mr Constantine will no longer be the head coach of the Amavubi, in an email he sent us today (yesterday) he said he got a better deal than we were offering him. His salary was $11,000 per month,” Hakizimana told Times Sport. Constantine ,who had a two-year contract with Rwanda, was linked to the top football job in India since Dutchman Wim Koevermans’ contract ended in October but the Britton denied link to the Asians back then. According to the AIFF, Constantine fulfilled their criteria including the pay package believed to be below $20,000 that Koevermans was earning. Secondly, he has the experience of coaching a national team, the Indian football federation said. AIFF also wanted someone with the knowledge of Indian football, its geography and perhaps culture, requirements which Constantine fulfilled since he had previously coached India – between 2002 and 2005. During his first three-year stint as India head coach, India won the regional LG Cup and won silver at the inaugural Afro-Asia Games after wins over Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the group stages. Constantine’s departure will be a major blow to Rwanda after dramatically lifting the country from 134th position on the Fifa rankings to a record 68th globally and to 19th on the African continent in just a couple months. Under Constatine, Rwanda did not concede a single goal at home and famous victories include the 3-0 against Chan champions and North African giants Libya 3-0, before defeating Congo Brazzaville 4-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the final round of the 2015 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers. However, CAF later banned Rwanda from the 2015 Afcon qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Constantine resigns from Amavubi