Ex-AFC Leopards coach Cassa Mbungo lands new job in Kenya

Bandari Football Club Monday unveiled former AFC Leopards coach Andre Cassa Mbungo as their new head coach, filling the void that was left by Ken Odhiambo, who decamped to Sofapaka a fortnight ago.

The 52-year-old Rwandan national becomes Bandari’s third tactician in less than a year and 11th since the team regained promotion to top flight football in 2008. He has signed a two year contract  with the Dockers.

Speaking during his unveiling at the KPA Mbaraki Sports Club, Mbungo who was being courted by other top local league sides, said he has been a longtime admirer of Bandari Football Club, which he said is run professionally and has a project of youth development, which has been his main area of emphasis in whichever team he chooses to work with.

“I'm happy to be at Bandari Football Club, a team I have liked all along since I set my foot in Kenya as AFC Leopards coach in 2019. I have played a couple of matches against them and I must confess I liked the professionalism with which they handled their players and discipline within the playing unit," Mbungo said at the function which was also attended by Bandari Football Club vice chairman Bernard Osero, Chief Executive Officer Edward Oduor, Organising Secretary Dickson Kibagendi and board treasurer Mohamed Nazzir Tostao.

“Our is a Cooperate Social Responsibility program covers sports, health and education, the reason we have reached out to our friend in the East Africa Community to come and help us empower our youth by developing their football talent and sending some abroad for professional stints, apart from playing for the various national football teams," Osero said.

Andre Cassa Mbungo holds a CAF A coaching badge and played for Dynamo and Athletic of Burundi between 1984 and 1994, before returning to Rwanda to begin his coaching career.

Mbungo says he horned his skills by starting to handle lower division clubs from 2002 before taking over at Kiyovu SC in 2006 and later Police FC in 2007 and SEC Academy in 2011.

He also won the Rwanda Cup (Peace Cup) with AS Kigali in 2013, before taking the Citizens Football Club to the third round of the Caf Confederation Cup for the first time the following year.

Mbungo is also a Fifa international physical trainer and is the only Rwandan coach to have won a silverware without coaching Rayon Sports and APR FC.

He coached AFC Leopards in 2019 before parting ways with them in December 2019 over unpaid dues.