No pressure

Michael Nees has until the end of this month to know whether he would be given a new deal or pack his bags and return to his native Germany, Times Sport can reveal.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Michael Nees has until the end of this month to know whether he would be given a new deal or pack his bags and return to his native Germany, Times Sport can reveal.

His current contract as Amavubi Stars coach ends with the month of  September  but there is no clue whatsoever to suggest he would be given a new one or not.

And the latest information to emerge from Remera headquartered Ferwafa isn’t doing anything to clear the uncertainty.

"We are under no pressure to discuss Nees’s contract,” Jules Kalisa, the local football ruling body Chief Executive Officer said yesterday, before asking, "Is there any pressure?

Nees, 39, signed a one-year contract when he took over the national team reigns in August of last year with an option of extending it but only if all parties involved deem it indispensable.

A reliable source within Ferwafa revealed to Times Sport that the main basis for renewing his contract beyond this month relies on how he executed his duties as national coach during the just concluded Nations’ Cup Ghana2008 qualifiers.

When he signed the contract, the first responsibility he was assigned was to qualify the team for the next Nations’ Cup or finish in a respectable position with a good number of points at worst.

But if the truth is to be said, he achieved neither of the two Rwanda finished the campaign second from bottom of group five with six points, nine behind group leaders Cameroon and four adrift of Equatorial Guinea who finished second and a further two ahead of bottom placed Liberia from six matches.


Kalisa added, "His contract doesn’t end until September 30 and we’re not in any hurry to discuss at the moment.”

Asked on when exactly they plan to discuss it, he replied, "May be towards the end of the month, around 28 or before.

It’s an issue that is supposed to be discussed by the entire executive [Ferwafa] not Kalisa alone.”

Nees himself has expressed his eagerness to negotiate a new deal with the football federation after helping Rwanda finish on third spot of the group five.

After the Saturday’s 4-0 drabbing of Liberia at Amahoro stadium, the Germany born coach, said, "My contract ends this month but I would prefer to negotiate a new deal if possible.”

He believes that despite not qualifying for Ghana, the team has done better than it did during the previous campaign under Roger Palmegren.

Under the Swedish coach, Rwanda finished bottom of their group with just five points from a possible 30.

The coach was sacked thereafter.

Ends