NAIROBI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Struggling 12-time Kenyan league champions AFC Leopards on Tuesday appointed their third foreign coach this season, confirming Rwandan national Andre Casa Mbungo as their new boss.
Mbungo becomes the 26th head coach hired by Leopards since gaining promotion back to the Kenyan top division in 2009.
"We have a new coach. AFC Leopards has appointed Rwanda's Andre Casa Mbungo as our new coach on a one and a half year deal. Andre replaces [Serbia's] Marko Vasiljevic who parted company with the club on Monday. Welcome to the Den, Andre," Leopards said in a statement.
Another Serb, Nikola Kavazovic, lasted only a week at the beginning of the season before departing for South African side Free State Stars FC.
Kavazovic refunded Leopards the 500,000 shilling (5,000 U.S. dollars) signing on fee he received from the club after signing a two-year deal last December.
The club then promoted his former assistant Vasiljevic, but his position at the club became unsustainable following a wretched run of two wins in 10 domestic league games that left the club languishing in 15th place, three points above the drop zone.
A 4-1 defeat at Bandari FC on Sunday was the final nail in the coffin for Vasiljevic, who also failed to lead Leopards past the quarterfinals of the 2019 SportPesa Cup in Tanzania last month, missing a chance to face English top flight side Everton and receive 30,000 U.S. dollars in prize money.
Mbungo will have a baptism of fire this weekend when he leads his new charges against record 17-time domestic league winners and eternal enemies Gor Mahia, in Kenya's biggest domestic fixture.
Leopards will be looking for a first victory over their archrivals in all competitions since a 1-0 league success in the 2016 season.
Mbungo most recently led Kiyovu SC to a fifth-place finish in the Rwandan Premier League, having previously coached AS Kigali and Police FC.
Gor forwards Jacques Tuyisenge (Police) and Francis Mustafa (AS Kigali) played under the incoming Leopards at Police and Kigali respectively.
Melis Medo, who parted ways with SPL rivals Sofapaka FC, as well as Dennis Kitambi, who was a hit at Leopards when he took over on interim basis, were some of the other names linked with the Leopards job before Mbungo got the nod.
The Rwandan coach will get a chance to watch his new side in action on Wednesday in a local clash against bottom side Mt. Kenya United FC.
In addition to 12 league and 10 domestic cup titles, Leopards have lifted five regional CECAFA Club Championship titles.
