Now get Tardy to sign a new contract

With his contract due to expire in weeks not months, Richard Tardy will be hoping that after achieving what was required of him, a new and improved contract should be on the table without much farce. Tardy’s main task was to take Rwanda to the Fifa World Cup in Mexico, which he did, winning the African title was always going to be bonus, and not winning wasn’t going to be end of the world. It was an agonizing experience for the home fans looking at Burkina Faso players celebrate their 2-1 victory over the Junior Wasps in yesterday’s final played in-front of a capacity crowd inside Amahoro National Stadium, which included among others President Paul Kagame and Caf boss Issa Hayatou. Seeking to become only the second team after Gambia to host and win the African Youth U-17 Championship, Richard Tardy’s boys started so well and early signs were, they could go on to write more history, unfortunately, it was case a counting chicks before eggs hatch. Honestly, the Junior Wasps punched well above their weight in reaching the final, so regardless of the outcome, they, in many eyes, were winners even before a ball was kicked in anger in Saturday’s well-attended final.Coming into the tournament, very few, if any would urge that Tardy’s team was good enough to reach the final, let alone winning it, but now we’re all disappointed the boys didn’t go all the way. The truth in my modest observation is, the team isn’t so good but it has a good coach. Tardy’s tactical shrewdness was the difference between his team and their opponents. The France-born coach has done a commendable job since taking over the reigns about a year ago. He has turned raw talents into potential future senior national team stars. Whatever we have seen from the boys in last two weeks is the work of Tardy and his backroom staff, so what is the reward for a coach, who on top of qualifying the team to the world cup, also was just one mistake (from his captain) away from winning the African title. Faustin Usengimana’s dip in concentration at in the penalty area led to Burkina Faso’s opening goal, and from that moment, it was a case of chasing the game and possibly a lost cause as the 10-man Young Stallions grew in confidence after taking the lead. Considering that Tardy’s team never went through the qualifiers, their preparations had to be thorough, and thorough they were as we have seen in the last two weeks, but credit must go where its due, and that’s none other than the coach. Tardy, until his team beat Egypt’s Young Pharaohs to secure Africa’s first slot at the 2011 Fifa World Cup finals in Mexico, was a relatively known figure in Rwanda and beyond but now he must be one of the most famous people in the land of thousand hills. Had he changed the form books and guided Rwanda to the title at the first time of asking, the Frenchman would have gone to be a household name in the history of Rwandan football. But even still, second place and a place in the world cup means that the least Tardy deserves, if it’s upon his bosses to decide, is a new and improved contract, now that he has proved his worth. With a new contract, a settled Tardy will have another five months to prepare the team for the world cup, unlike a situation where, in case the Frenchman opts not to sign a new deal and another coach comes, he [new coach] will need double the time to have any impact on the team in Mexico. Better the devil you know than the angle you’ve never seen. Nonetheless, whether a new contract for Tardy is imminent or not, he and his boys must be congratulated for bringing back hope into Rwandan football fans. nku78@yahoo.com