Why Kiyovu are bouncing back

SC Kiyovu coach Gilbert Yaoundé Kanyankore says the secret of his team’s much-improved form in the last few weeks is hard work and better understanding between him and the players. The Mumena side has won the last three Turbo King Football League matches, the most recent being the 2-0 win over Police FC 2-0 on Tuesday.Following a dismal start to the league that saw them collect just two points from a possible nine, question marks had been raised on whether the veteran coach was the right person to turn the club’s fortunes around.Yet just weeks later, SC Kiyovu are now in third place on the league table with 18 points, three points adrift of leaders AS Kigali and two behind APR after just nine rounds of matches. Tuesday’s win over Sam Ssimbwa’s Police came through goals by Hussein Habimana and Ali Musa.Kanyankole told Times Sport, “It took us time to get to know each other but I am happy it doesn’t seem to be going for too much longer, otherwise it would have been hard to deal with all the pressures.”He added, “There’s no miracle to winning football matches other than working hard during both training and matches. In our case, the players have worked really hard in recent days and are increasingly adjusting to my style of play.”Until the last transfer window, Kanyankore was the coach of Burundi’s reigning champions Vital’O whom he guided to this year’s regional Cecafa club championships glory in Sudan, at the expense of Rwanda’s APR FC.“We are a new team with so many new players of diverse backgrounds, so there was always going to be that time to get acquainted with each other. It becomes a bit easy to win games if the players know what you expect from them,” explained the former Rayon Sports and Vital’O coach.When he took over the reins at Kiyovu, Kanyankole signed a couple of new players, some from Burundi.The Green Baggies, the oldest football club in Rwanda, have not won a major silverware since 1993.And the new man in charge of the Nyarugenge-sponsored side understands what that means.“This club needs to start winning some trophies and I hope I can be the man to achieve that; but in the meantime, I thank the players for the commitment they have shown from the start, it has been incredible and long may it continue,” he said.When the league returns on December 21 after the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya, SC Kiyovu will be up against APR.Kiyovu have won five, drawn three and lost one of their nine league matches in the 2013/14 campaign so far.