Nshimiyimana uncertain about Amavubi Stars job

Amavubi Stars head coach Eric Nshimiyimana is still in the dark regarding whether he will continue to lead the national team when his contract expires in a few weeks, Times Sport has learnt.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Rwanda has won two of 12 competitive matches under Eric Nshimiyimana as head coach since he took over the reign in March last year. (File)

Amavubi under Nshimiyimana

World Cup 2014 QualifiersBenin 2 – 0 RwandaRwanda 0 – 1 AlgeriaMali 1-1 Rwanda

CHAN 2014 QualifiersEthiopia 1 – 0 RwandaRwanda 1 - 0 Ethiopia

Friendly matchesRwanda 0 – 1 MalawiUganda 0 – 0 RwandaBurundi 1-1 Rwanda

Cecafa Challenge CupUganda 1 – 0 RwandaSudan 1 – 0 RwandaRwanda 1 – 0 EritreaKenya 1 – 0 Rwanda

Amavubi Stars head coach Eric Nshimiyimana is still in the dark regarding whether he will continue to lead the national team when his contract expires in a few weeks, Times Sport has learnt.

Nshimiyimana’s one-year contract expires in two week’s time but he is yet to receive any information about whether he would be offered a new deal, along with his assistant Jean Baptiste Kayiranga and the other members on the technical team. Asked if he thinks he deserves a contract renewal, the former Rwandan international midfielder said, "Honestly that is out of my hands, but I am positive I will stay on as the coach.”

Nshimiyimana believes he will continue to work with the national team beyond his current deal.

"We shall sit down with my bosses in May to look at what we have achieved and what we have not, and it’s after the assessment that they will make the decision,” he said.

Nshimiyimana said that compared to previous coaches, who were each given at least two years, he was offered one year but "I think we have done relatively well despite the challenges,” he noted.

When asked about Nshimiyimana’s fate, Rwanda Football Federation president Vincent ‘De Gaulle’ Nzamwita said that they are not in a rush to discuss the issue as they have other more urgent matters to deal with first.

"The coach’s contract is not so urgent right now,” Nzamwita told Times Sport on Wednesday, adding that, "We first need to sort out the federation’s legal status, which should be completed by next week.”

Nzamwita revealed that Nshimiyimana and Kayiranga will not be the only ones to be assessed when time comes, but rather the entire national team.

"We shall do a review of the whole team, including assessing the coach’s work in the past 12 months and then make decisions accordingly,” he said.

The director of Sports in Ministry of Sports and Culture, Emmanuel Bugingo told this paper that they have not yet discussed the issue of the coach but they will evaluate him in the coming weeks before taking a decision.

The Ministry of Sports and Culture is responsible for paying the salaries of coaches. Under Nshimiyimana, who replaced Milutin Micho Sredjovic in March last year, Rwanda has managed just two wins, three draws and lost seven matches respectively.