Rwanda was recently bundled unceremoniously out of the African Cup of Nations final by Mozambique yet it had been the favourite to win the game and sail through. It understandable, that Amavubi fans were deeply disappointed, and they were quick to find scapegoats. As could be expected, the coach – not the players – bore the brunt of the blame for the loss and was subjected to boos. While football hooliganism is very rare in Rwanda, one tends to fear what could have happened if security was not vigilant and tight after the match. But why the frustration? Instead of venting their anger on the coach, the fans should accept defeat gracefully; the most important thing is to learn from their loss. What could be done to turn the fortunes of football around? Just as football teams have been slowly weaning off relying on foreign players, probably it is time the same should be done for the coaching staff. FERWAFA the footballing body should lay out a game plan of inspiring Rwandans to pick interest and attain coaching skills and qualifications. Nigeria today is mourning one of its sons who cut the path towards debunking the myth that foreign is best. Stephen Keshi was one of the most successful African coaches having managed his country’s football team as well as Mali and Togo. FERWAFA should go back on the drawing board and consider using homegrown solutions. A change of tactic is worth the try.
