Local duo named

FERWAFA has appointed Capt. Jean Marie Ntagwabira and Antoinne Rutsindura as the new Amavubi assistants to the newly appointed Amavubi coach Josip Kuze, ahead of the fourth coming Cecafa Challenge Cup due next month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.The duo were named to assist the Croat select a strong national team which take part in this year’s Cecafa Challenge Cup tournament.Both Ntagwabira and Rutsindura signed a two-year contract deal respectively which will expire in 2010.Among their tasks, the duo is to guide the team to this year’s regional Cecafa championship and the 2010 African Nations Cup and World Cup finals due to be held in Angola and South Africa respectively.The Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa told Sunday Sports yesterday that the duo were selected basing on their last season’s club performance.“They are excellent and we expect a good yield from them once their services are partnered with the Croat,” Kalisa said.“They will work hand in hand with the Kuze to bring back the national team’s winning streak,” Kalisa added.Kalisa further added that Ntagwabira will still be in charge of Atraco while Rutsindura can take up his post full time since he is not attached to any club presently.Ntagwabira is most successful local coach in the country’s football history.In his career, he went on to guide APR to numerous silverware, a feat which saw him assist former Amavubi coach, Dujkovic Ratomir during the 2004 African Cup of Nations finals. Former Dynamo Zagreb coach Josip Kuze was appointed as new national football team coach of Rwanda national team signing a two-year deal that runs from 2008 to 2010.Kuze surprised many with his decision to take over Amavubi .Kuze is the second coach from former Yugoslavia federation to take charge of the Rwandan national team. His predecessor, Serb Ratomir Dujkovic left a huge impact in Rwanda after leading the team to its maiden appearance at the African Nations Cup in 2004 and he later led Ghana to the second round of World Cup 2006 in Germany where they lost to Brazil .Kuze was a player and later coach of Dynamo Zagreb for which he played from 1971-1981 in 384 games scoring 14 goals.Kuze’s first serious assignment starts next month when Rwanda take part in the 2007 regional Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Tanzania. The Amavubi Stars were third last year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after beating arch-rivals Uganda in the play-off. Ends