In football circles, the return of coaches often does not have a happy ending. Jo Bonfrere with the Nigerian Super Eagles and Jose Mourinho with Chelsea serve as typical examples among many others.

Football stands out as one of the phenomena in the world that often eludes rational explanation; every aspect of football, including the players, coaching staff, and officials, can be cloaked in an air of uncertainty. It’s hard to grasp because situations may transform instantly.

In July 2024, Rayon Sports welcomed back Brazilian manager Robertinho Oliveira as their head coach. This experienced strategist previously led them to victory in the league championship during the 2018-2019 season, after which they went five years without claiming the title again.

The Blues were eager for victory as they had been overshadowed by their longtime adversaries, APR FC, who had claimed the Rwandan championship title an unprecedented five times consecutively.

The management opted for Robertinho, who not only has extensive knowledge of the club but also boasts an impressive CV since his departure from the club in 2019. During this time, he managed prominent regional teams such as Simba SC in Tanzania and Vipers in Uganda.

While at Vipers, he was the inaugural coach to guide a Ugandan team into the group stage of the CAF Champions League.

Robertinho’s second love affair with Rayon Sports began auspiciously, and his vision seemed full of promise. The team remained undefeated for 14 matches and as December 2024 drew to a close, they topped APR by six points. However, their streak was broken on January 11th when Mukura Victory Sports defeated them 2-1 at Huye Stadium.

ALSO READ : Rayon Sports has appointed Rwaka as the interim manager following Robertinho's suspension.

The Blues have recently experienced a decline in performance, managing to win only two out of their past ten matches across all competitions in 2025. This poor streak led the club’s leadership to suspend the Brazilian player on Monday, April 14.

As stated by club president Thaddee Twagirayezu, it became evident that Robertinho had not been successful in "handling his players over the past few months, whether on or off the field, which negatively impacted the team’s performance."

The head was suspended along with goalkeeper’s coach Andre Mazimpaka, who reportedly tried to claim the players’ bonuses for himself. Additionally, he failed to make an impact in the goalkeeping area, leading to first-choice keeper Khadime Ndiaye committing critical errors during matches such as Rayon versus Mukura and Marines, where costly mistakes resulted in conceded goals.

What were the issues faced by Rayon Sports?

There is no denying that the season-ending injury sustained by star forward Fall Ngagne has impacted the team significantly. During a match where Amagaju drew 1-1 against him at Huye Stadium on February 22nd, Fall suffered a torn ligament in his knee and will be out for the rest of this season. Prior to getting injured, Fall had scored 13 goals, and as of today, he remains atop the top scorer rankings.

Were Rayon Sports myopic?

The most significant error Rayon committed was letting go of backup striker Charles Bbaale and midfielder Prince Rudasingwa during the January transfer window. This seems to be a recurring issue for the team.

Two seasons back, they were competing for the championship, but the exit of Joackim Ojera, Heritier Nzinga Luvumbu, and Abdul Rwatubyaye during the season ultimately impacted the team negatively, resulting in them losing the title to APR FC.

The technical staff at Rayon Sports ought to have informed the management that injuries are an integral part of football. Although Ngagne was performing well, they should have developed a backup strategy. It would have been ideal to retain either Bbaale or Rudasingwa, but they let both go, and now they're facing the repercussions.

Following Ngagne's unfortunate injury, Robertinho was left with no alternative but to deploy Abeddy Biramahire—a natural winger—in the role of a center forward, numbered nine. He expressed dissatisfaction over this arrangement post-match against Mukura in Kigali. Ideally, having an experienced striker such as Bbaale or Rudasingwa would likely have yielded improved performance due to their familiarity with the league.

Regardless of whether Robertinho consented to the release of Bbaale and Rudasingwa or not, that is a topic for another discussion.

Players who failed to meet expectations signed in January

The January 2025 transfer window proved to be a disappointment for Rayon Sports, likely falling short of what coach Robertinho Oliveira had hoped for in terms of new talent.

Among those whose names he included on his transfer wishlist were Uganda’s duo Aziz Fahad Bayo and Bright Anukani, along with Joseph Sackey, who captains Muhazi United. He became aware of these players following their team's defeat against Rayon Sports, which ended at 2-1.

He desired the Ghanaian midfielder as a straightforward substitute for Aruna Majaliwa.

Nevertheless, he did not receive any opportunities since the club management introduced their own signings, which included Souleymane Daffe, the striker Adulai Jalo from Guinea-Bissau, and Biramahire, amongst others. Amongst the new additions in January, only Biramahire has managed to make a difference.

Has Robertinho been blamed unfairly?

Certainly, Robertinho has become the scapegoat for recent events. In fact, the decision to remove him from his position was decided upon following the team’s 1-1 tie with Amagaju in Huye. After the match, a small gathering took place where one of the management members was heard questioning when the coach's contract was set to expire, indicating an interest in terminating it prematurely.

For now, it would be unjustified to hold Roberto entirely responsible for Rayon's problems since the management did not secure the signings he sought after in January. It remains uncertain; those three additional players might have strengthened the squad.

Currently, there are six games left as the championship enters a crucial phase. In this league, anything can happen, much like how APR was trailing until their 22nd game but then took the lead in the 23rd week. Similarly, Rayon could make a comeback too.

At this juncture, they've begun pushing the panic button by suspending Robertinho. With only a single point between Rayon and APR, it would have been more prudent for them to retain the Brazilian player and back him up since he possesses the capability to reverse their fortunes.

Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).