New Amavubi coach to be named today

RWANDA Football Federation will announce a new national football team head coach today following Stephen Constantine’s resignation on Thursday. According to sources at the local football governing body, assistant coach Vincent Mashami was to take over as interim caretaker until Ferwafa names a replacement for the Englishman. Mashami was a caretaker of the Amavubi alongside Andrew Cassa Mbungo in May after Eric Nshimiyimana was sacked following a poor run of results in 2013 and early 2014. The pair was in charge of the first leg of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round fixture against Libya in Tunisia which ended in a goalless draw before Constantine took over. Mashami is currently the assistant coach of APR FC and guided the military side to their 14th record title as caretaker manager after Andreas Spiers’ resignation in February 2014. Ferwafa spokesman Moussa Hakizimana said the football officials have had numerous meetings to decide the future of the national team ahead of the African Nations Championship (Chan) that will be hosted in Rwanda 12 months from now. Mbungo is another candidate who could take the Amavubi job despite being head coach of Police FC which is in third position on the National Football League table standings. His stint in leading AS Kigali to the third round of the Caf Confederations Cup last year in their debut appearance has since granted him massive respect in the football circles considering he did not have an experienced side. Former Amavubi coach Nshimiyimana now in charge of AS Kigali also has the potential to return to the national side but his commitment to the second-placed side could be a hindrance to a permanent job. Police coach Cassa Mbungo is one of the favourites for the Amavubi coaching job. (Timothy Kisambira) Hakizimana revealed that the selected coach who will be announced today at midday at the Ferwafa headquarters in Remera has the authority to name a new provisional U-23 squad to face Tanzania on January 22 in Mwanza. Constantine released a 25-man squad on Thursday to commence training on January 19 in preparation for the Tanzania tie that will focus on preparing the Junior Wasps for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifier against Somalia in March.

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New Amavubi coach to be named today