Raoul Jean Pierre Shungu has played down reports from numerous media sources that he was sacked by the Seychelles football federation (S.F.F). The Congolese born tactician denied the reports in an exclusive interview with Times Sport at Kigali Serena hotel, where he currently resides while talks with Rayon Sports officials go on. He said Negative forces who are not happy with my success are the perpetrators of these rumors. My job as the Seychelles coach ends in August. However I’d written a resignation letter, terminating my contract. Recently, the Seychelles Football Federation sent a letter signed by one Louis Nourice who is the Secretary General to Shungu through an e-mail with the headline, Tu as provoque une crise a Seychelles F.F, imply that he (Shungu) has put the Seychelles Football Federation into a crisis. The letter seen by Times Sport also claims that Mr. Patel Sukutu, the S.F.F. president is set to resign on 23rd February when the S.F.F’s General Assembly sits, if Shungu doesn’t return as coach. In the same letter, the 48-year-old is further informed how the SFF vice-president resigned due to his (Shungu) resignation. The Secretary General, in the letter, goes ahead to beg Shungu to return to Seychelles and ‘at least’ continue with the Youth Academy funded by Project Goal (FIFA’s initiative to promote football in developing countries). Louis Nourice, in the same letter, informs the Congolese coach that all Seychelles local coaches have turned down approaches to replace him. Among them, the letter continues, is one Ulric Mathiot, a CAF instructor from the Seychelles who is apparently an admirer of Shungu’s tactics. The writer also pleads with Shungu saying, It’s only you to solve the crisis. According to a Seychelles’s newspaper, The Nation of December 17, it published an article that Shungu had thrown in the towel to his stint with the S.F.F. Shungu’s resignation, according to some lines in the letter, could be salary related, as a section of it reads, the S.F.F. is ready to increase your salary when you return. It goes ahead to add, A meeting is to be convened on January 16 after your return from holiday. Times Sport also got the chance of look at the coach’s air tickets provided by the Seychelles Football Federation. It was on this background that he wondered why; if he had been sacked, would he be given a return ticket? This he said, White washes all the rumors being circulated that I was sacked. The letter further indicates to Shungu that they (SFF) could get him the air ticket through South Africa, if he has a problem with the usual route through Kenya, due to the post election violence currently in the East Africa biggest economy. The facts Shungu left the Seychelles to Rwanda, like he puts it, for holidays. However, by the time he left, it had been reported by the Seychelles newspapers that he had quit his job. Not sacked as some media reports are claiming, he complained. It should also be noted, he said, That I wanted to leave in good faith, and it’s on this regard that I gave them (S.F.F) a period of three month to get my replacement. This is what is taking me back (to prepare his replacement). The 48-year-old has been locked in intensive talks with Rayon Sports officials since his return to Kigali early last month with a view to take over as coach for a second spell. In his admission, he has agreed in principle to take over the coaching role if Rayon put an enticing offer that marches his standard on table. During his first spell at Rayon between 1998 and 2004, Shungu steered Rwanda’s most supported club to three league titles (1998, 2002 and 2004) but most notable was when he guided them to the Cecafa club championship in 1999, the first by a Rwandan club. Ends
