Johnson takes over Amavubi ahead of Tanzania tie

RWANDA FOOTBALL Federation (Ferwafa) technical director Lee Johnson is the new national team interim head coach, replacing Stephen Constantine who resigned on Thursday. Johnson’s first assignment is to prepare the national U-23 team that is scheduled to face Tanzania’s U-23 side in a friendly game on January 22 in Mwanza. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday at Ferwafa headquarters, Johnson said, “I will be overseeing the management of the U-23 team and we are keeping the staff exactly the same. Obviously, I haven’t had much contact with the players, so that’s why the staff that we have we’ll work closely together.” “It is a great opportunity for me to be involved with the national team and the U-23 and I am looking forward to it. We start camp tomorrow (today) and the players will be reporting in the evening and we shall train Monday and Tuesday and we probably will not train on Wednesday because we are travelling and then we play on Thursday,” explained the Englishman. Johnson has maintained the squad selected by Constantine which comprises of Amavubi captain Haruna Niyonzima, youngster Issa Bigirimana, who has impressed in his only two league games for APR as well as Andrew Buteera who recently attained Rwandan nationality. The optimistic Johnson noted: “We have some young players in the squad and we want them to get exposure. For me I am all about player development so by having young players playing regularly and with older experienced players is only going to help their development in the future.” Assistant coach Vincent Mashami explained the pair’s inclusion, saying, “Andrew Buteera is a very experienced player and we need his contribution to the national team. For Issa Bigirimana, we really have a problem of strikers and for the two games he has played, he has really impressed everyone.” The 35-year old Johnson has also been in charge of the U-17 national team and spent the last six months setting up organized structures at grassroot level throughout the country. The former youth academy coach at Chelsea and Crystal Palace brings massive football experience to Amavubi. According to the Ferwafa Secretary General Olivier Mulindahabi, a substantive head coach will be named by the end of February.

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Johnson takes over Amavubi ahead of Tanzania tie