Pieter Hendrik de Jongh has announced his resignation as the FERWAFA technical director of football, citing unprofessional approach to football management in the country. Pieter Hendrik de Jongh The Dutchman had signed a two-year contract in May to fill the position that had been vacant since April 2015, following the resignation of Englishman Lee Johnson. The 45-year-old tendered his resignation to FERWAFA on Friday and said one of the reasons behind his departure was the lack of a qualified head coach for the national team, Amavubi. FERWAFA, the local football governing body, is yet to name a new permanent head coach for the national team since the sacking of Irishman Johnny McKinstry, following a poor run of results. Later, FERWAFA appointed and then fired Gilbert ‘Yaounde’ Kanyankole within a space of four days, before appointing Hendrik’s then assistant, Jimmy Mulisa, in the role but on an interim basis. Mulisa went on to preside over the away 2017 AFCON qualifier game against Ghana that ended 1-1 but he has since left the position and is now the head coach of Bugesera FC. FERWAFA has since said they are searching for a new head coach, while there have been calls for the appointment of a Rwandan into the position. Speaking to Times Sport on Friday, Hendrik said: “There is a lack of clear strategy and structured plan, the position of the national football team coach also remains vacant.” “I would like to offer my apology to all the fans and Rwandan for being unable to continue in serving the country that I love because football here is complicated, especially for a person who loves working,” he said. He claimed that local football managers are not professional and no skilled enough as far as the sport is concerned. He said it was unusual for a national team to be without a head coach for all this time. The Dutchman also said he had been disappointed to learn that his assistant, Jimmy Mulisa, had been appointed interim head coach. “This is so disappointing, there is no qualified coach in place and this is a problem because I cannot work with somebody who is unprofessional, that’s why I have made this decision, but I wish Rwanda, a country that I adore, all the best and I am grateful for the opportunity offered to me,” Hendrik said without elaborating. The former AFC Leopards (Kenya) tactician had beaten three other candidates, including former Rwanda technical director Michael Weiss, as well as Frenchman Sebastien Desabre and Giovanni Scanu of Italy, to the job. By press time, efforts to get a comment from FERWAFA were still futile. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
