AS Kigali suffered a 1-0 defeat to arch rivals Rayon Sports last week which ultimately ended Mike Mutebi’s stint with the club as he was sacked a few days later and replaced by Andre Casa Mbungo. The Ugandan gaffer lasted just thirteen league games after being appointed in January as he won three, lost three and drew seven which did not go down well with the City of Kigali sponsored club. Considering how the season has gone for AS Kigali, they were tagged earlier on in the campaign as genuine title contenders after walloping Kiyovu Sports 4-0 but ever since sacking Eric Nshimiyimana for losing to Rayon Sports which was the club’s first loss of the season, they have not found their feet again. In terms of quality, AS Kigali are spoilt for choice, they are well equipped in all areas from defence to attack with the likes of Denis Rukundo, Amavubi skipper Haruna Niyonzima, Nigerian Abubakar Lawal and the club recently signed Ghanaian striker Michael Sarpong and still possess the league top scorer Shabani Hussein all in their fold but they keep struggling. It is evidently clear that AS Kigali’s problem is not about players as they have a good team but it is about the technical and tactical ability of their coaches. Certainly, with his experience of coaching top teams outside Rwanda including AFC Leopards FC of Kenya, Casa Mbungo who is coming for a second spell at AS Kigali after being at the helm of affairs in 2013 where he led them to Peace Cup glory and could be the ideal tactician the club needs in their quest to get back on track. Undoubtedly, Casa Mbungo’s tactical prowess will be key as he needs to change the team’s system of play which can allow them to kill games. One of AS Kigali’s main problems has been conceding late goals and the former Bandari FC coach has to work on the concentration of his players and also vary his tactics getting to the final twelve minutes of games. Again, Casa Mbungo’s man-management will also be crucial concerning the array of stars the club has. It is normal in football for star players to have big egos and that can also cause the downfall of any team. Haruna Niyonzima, Shabani Hussein, Michael Sarpong, Denis Rukundo are all big players and they should be managed well in order for the club to get the best out of them. Casa Mbungo is a top gaffer and having previously handled AFC Leopards which is one of the top teams in Kenya with a host of big players, he should be able to get the maximum best of the big players at AS Kigali and also manage the dressing room very well. Nevertheless, Casa Mbungo must also return the team to winning ways and make sure they are consistent. In his last job which was with Mombasa based Bandari FC, the Rwandan tactician started well and was in contention for the league title before the team went on a five-game winless streak which forced the management to sack him. His predecessors this season at AS Kigali suffered similar fate and Mbungo should be consistent with results if he wants to keep his job for long as the management and fans of the club are very demanding. This season is at its twilight and the league title will be decided between APR FC and Kiyovu Sports but Casa Mbungo still has a chance to win the Peace Cup. The first league game of Casa Mbungo will be against Gasogi United on Friday April 29 and a win could be a great morale booster for the “Citizens” as they also hope to at least finish in the top four.
