AS Kigali Women FC sack Nyinawumuntu

Rwanda’s most successful women football club AS Kigali FC have parted company with their long-serving head coach Grace Nyinawumuntu, who led them to a record seven league titles in a row. Nyinawumuntu, who has also been doubling as the national women team head coach, was relieved of her duties after two months of suspension, following allegations of what the club described as “indiscipline” and causing divisions in the dressing room. Speaking to Times Sport, AS Kigali spokesperson Teddy Gacinya revealed that, after carrying out thorough investigations on what Nyinawumuntu was accused of, they found her guilty on all the allegations levelled against her, including favouring some players. “We conducted an extensive investigation over a period of two months and found that the coach was giving preferential treatment to some players, while others were being discriminated against,” he said. Asked about the issue of alleged homosexuality, which was widely speculated to be the cause behind the suspension, Gacinya said: “We didn’t tackle that because it didn’t fall within the scope of the investigation.” Nyinawumuntu has since been replaced temporarily by Shaban Mbarushimana, who has been working as assistant coach for AS Kigali men’s football team as the management weighs up options for a permanent replacement. Times Sport tried to contact Nyinawumuntu for a comment in vain as we couldn’t reach her on her known mobile phone number. Nyinawumuntu became the country’s first female professional football coach in 2008 having previously become the first Rwandan woman to become an international referee in 2004. She had a hand in the formation of AS Kigali Women FC, and her side went on to win the national women football championship a record seven times in a row since 2010. She played in the first national women’s team in 2009 though the team never participated in major competitions and became their head coach in January 2014. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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AS Kigali Women FC sack Nyinawumuntu