Rayon Sports suspend Masudi after elimination from CAF Confederation Cup

Peace Cup holders Rayon Sports have dramatically suspended their head coach Djuma Masudi over inappropriate conduct, club officials have said. The development comes two days after the league leaders were knocked out of this year’s Total CAF Confederation Cup by Nigeria’s Rivers United ending their hopes of making it to the lucrative group stage of the continent’s second biggest club competition. Despite being four matches away from leading the Blues to their first league title since 2013, the former Rayon Sports skipper Masudi has been given a-one week suspension due to what has been described as an unprofessional conduct by club secretary general Olivier Gakwaya. “He has been suspended for a week because of how he has been handling himself on several occasions, which we believe contributed to the result we got in the Confederation Cup,” Gakwaya told Times Sport Tuesday. He said Masudi let down the team because he did not seem to act as had been agreed in several meetings in line with the Confederation Cup. “He skipped several of those meetings and did not give out explanations”. “He has not been working smoothly with staff, always making unilateral decisions, yes as head coach you can but you have to listen to your staff as well, so it has been a series of incidents of misconduct and we have decided to give him one week so he can reflect,” Gakwaya said. According to Gakwaya, the Burundian tactician will return to the club’s dugout next Monday and he will be allowed to carry on with his duties. Rayon Sports were crashed out of Confederation Cup on Saturday after failing to overturn a 2-0 deficit they conceded in the first leg with the return leg ending in a goalless draw, hence missing out on a minimum of $275,000 meant for the team that finish at the bottom of the group stage. Nonetheless, Rayon Sports have been outstanding in the league this season losing only one game in the last 22 and are leading the table with 55 points, five ahead archrivals and reigning champions APR having played two games less. In the Peace Cup, the holders are one step in the last 16 after walloping second division side Rugende FC 9-0 in the first leg and will be hosting them for the return leg today at Stade de Kigali. The 39-year old was appointed the club head coach in August last year on a three-year contract shortly after guiding Rayon to the Peace Cup glory for a record 9th time and the first in nearly 11 years as an interim coach. At the end of last season, Masudi was voted Revelation Coach of the Year for the 2015/16 season, piping APR’s Tunisian coach Nizar Khanfir and Etincelles’(now Police FC) Innocent Seninga to the accolade. Meanwhile, Gakwaya said assistant coaches Maurice Maso Nshimiyimana and Marcel Lomami will take charge of today’s game and this weekend’s league tie against Musanze FC. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Rayon Sports suspend Masudi after elimination from CAF Confederation Cup