Veteran Rwandan coach Jean Gilbert Kanyankore “Younde” is among top favorites to succeed Ivan Minnaert at Kenyan giants AFC Leopards.
The hot seat at one of the oldest and most successful clubs in the Kenyan premier league, which fell vacant in September, attracted over fifty applicants from within and outside Africa.
The process of shortlisting has been ongoing, and the top three candidates should be known by Tuesday, October 18.
62-year old Kanyankore boasts over 30 years’ experience, and a glittering resume in regional football.
A multiple Burundi’s premier league winner with Vital’O, he holds CAF “A” and DFB “A” licenses, and is among few Rwandan coaches to have ventured beyond the borders.
Trained at the National Higher Teachers Training Institute, School of Sports and Recreation, Kinshasa, DRC Congo from 1977-83, Kanyankore also holds Bachelor’s degree in applied pedagogy, football, volleyball and athletics.
From 2004-05, he taught at the Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) department of sports.
In Rwanda, he managed APR FC, Rayon Sports which he guided to the semifinal phase of the 2005 CECAFA Kagame Cup in Tanzania, Kiyovu FC and AS Kigali which he won Peace Cup with.
He finally won Kagame Cup with Vital’O in 2013 in Sudan.
Kanyankore has also been in charge of Burundi national team, the “Swallows” as well as Rwanda’s “Amavubi” on numerous occasions, latest this year, when he lasted for just four days before being fired.
Also tipped to ascend to the top seat at “Ingwe”, is another Rwandan Casa Mbungo, who started his coaching in 1993 in Burundi before his senior career took off at Rwandatel FC (2002-04), and later AS Kigali (2004-06).
After relative success with AS Kigali, Mbungo moved to Kiyovu in the 2006/07 season, and later Police FC where he won Peace Cup, with Gor Mahia’s Jacques Tuyisenge as his captain.
Other high profile managers eyeing the job are: David Duncan, Antonio Flores (Spain), Sam Ssimbwa and Sam Timbe (Uganda), Dorian Marin (Romania), Traguil Sergio (Portugal) among others.
@bonfaceosano
