Uzamukunda explains Amavubi snub claims

AMAVUBI striker Elias Uzamukunda has denied disrespecting national team coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic, saying he did not heed the gaffer’s summons to the national team’s training camp because he is looking for a new club and pursuing a work permit.Micho is reported to have sought permission from the striker’s French second division club AS Cannes and the club cleared the player to join the Wasps, who are currently in Tunisia for a two-week training camp, but the striker did not heed the call up.He instead preferred to join the team five days ahead of the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Algeria, something that infuriated Micho.“I explained to the coaching staff that I needed some days to reach an agreement with my club on where I would be playing next season and also get a new work permit.“Unfortunately it could not wait because French club Nantes had expressed interest and talks were in advanced stages, there is also a time limit on renewing a work permit. All I asked for was more time to finish my issues.“There is no way I can refuse to play for the national team because I have made it where I am by playing for Amavubi,” noted the former AS Kigali and APR forward.Amavubi coach has not yet made a decision on whether to allow the striker report to camp or drop him, but the Serbian coach could be forced to bury the hatchet after the team’s 2-0 loss to Libya, which highlighted lack of enough goal scoring options ahead of the hectic month of June.Amavubi will play Tunisia on Sunday in the final friendly before taking on Algeria on June 2.Bayisenge passes pro trialsMeanwhile, Amavubi defender Emery Bayisenge is set to join a top flight European club after passing trials with French top division club-Toulouse.The 17-year old U-20 national team and Isonga FC captain, impressed during his two-week trial period, and talks are set to begin soon over his transfer to the French Ligue 1.“He is a good defender, who can also play in central midfield, so his versatility was a bonus in luring the French club,” chairman of Isonga FC, Augustin Munyandmusta, said in an interview with Times Sport yesterday.Bayisenge captained Rwanda’s U-17 to second place in the 2011 Africa Youth Championship finals played in Kigali last year before leading the same team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals held in Mexico.The youngster is a product of the national football academy having been scouted in the Copa Coca-Cola competitions and is the third player from that team to go for trials in Europe.SEC Academy and U-20 defender Solomon Nirisarike and Michel Rusheshangoga passed trials with Belgium’s Royal Antwerp in February and March, respectively, but the latter is yet to formally join the club.Toulouse finished in eighth place in Ligue 1 last season with 55 points. The club has produced players like former French goal keeper Fabien Barthez and Les Bleus striker André-Pierre Gignac.

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Uzamukunda explains Amavubi snub claims