Rayon Sport’s assistant coach Jeanot Witakenge seen interacting with the club’s fitness coach Lomami Marcel during Monday’s training session held at Nzove grounds. Courtesy Photo
Former Amavubi play-maker Jeanot Witakenge has assumed the vacant assistant coaching role with the reigning league champions Rayon Sports.
Witakenge who was appointed the assistant coach, to replace Hamad ‘Katauti’ Ndikumana (with blessed memory) over the weekend, begun the coaching role on Monday at the club’s training base in Nzove.
The 48-year-old, who also played for APR FC and Rwanda national team (Amavubi), won the national league with Rayon Sports in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2004 as well as the Peace Cup in 1998.
Witakenge, one of the best midfielders to ever play in Rwandan football, also won the league with APR in 2006 and 2007, and Peace Cup in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Witakenge who will assist head coach Olivier Karekezi is also set to work with Marcel Lomami who is the acting fitness coach of the club.
Witakenge first signed for Rayon Sports in the early 1990s from Espoir FC before joining Burundian side Associacion Sportif Inter Stars during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
He returned to Rayon Sports in October 1996 until 1999 when he traveled with Amavubi for a training camp in Belgium where he disappeared and only to return to Rwanda in 2001 to continue his career with Rayon. He also played for DR Congo club, St Eloi Lupopo.
He signed for APR FC for two years alongside Mbuyu Twite and Kabange Twite under Congolese coach Andy Mfutila.
Witakenge left APR FC in 2009 to return to DR Congo where he retired from playing and ventured into coaching St-Éloi Lupopo of Lubumbashi youth team.
Before coming to Rayon Sports as assistant coach, Witakenge coached AS Muungano of Bukavu, where he was sacked last September.
Rayon Sports are fifth in the league with 15 points, five behind leaders SC Kiyovu. AS Kigali are second place with 19 points, one ahead of third-placed APR FC after 10 rounds of matches.
Meanwhile, the blues are preparing to take part in the 2048 Heroes Cup tournament which gets underway on January 23 with Rayon Sports facing Police Fc in the opening game.
Rayon Sports Fc will also face AS Kigali on the second day of the tournament before winding up their campaign against arch rivals APR Fc on February 1, 2018.
The winner of the Heroes Cup tournament will get Rwf3m on top of the trophy and gold medals, second place side will earn Rwf2m; the bronze medalist will walk away with Rwf1.5, while the fourth-placed team will take home Rwf1m.
