Former OBB coach lands Gisagara job

Lawrence Yakan is the new head coach of Rwandan side Gisagara Volleyball Club, the club has confirmed.

Yakan, a former captain of the Rwanda senior men’s national team, retired from active volleyball after the 2021 CAVB African Nations’ Championship held in Kigali.

He has since ventured into coaching and helped Ugandan side Orange Block Busters (OBB) dethrone Nemostars with a 2-1 victory last year.

Yakan’s time at OBB ended last September after his side was dismissed in straight sets by Sport-S in the National Club Championship final in Iganga.

“We are pleased to inform you that Yakan Guma Lawrence is the new head coach of Gisagara Volleyball Club,” the club announced Wednesday afternoon.

Gisagara recently parted ways with their head coach Fidèle Nyirimana after the club finished third in the just concluded 2023 Kayumba Memorial Tournament held in Huye.

Gisagara lost last season’s National League Championship Rwanda Energy Group and is looking to bounce back.

Gisagara was home to Ugandan international Cuthbert Malinga when the team finished third in the Africa Volleyball Club Championship held in Tunisia last year.

Yakan, a former club player, will be tasked with restoring the team’s glory. Yakan, a Ugandan, who switched to represent Rwanda, has also coached teams like Sky in Uganda.

His tenure in Uganda will be remembered for leading a newly promoted OBB side to the league time the first time of asking.

His dismissal from the Iganga-based outfit left more questions than answers considering the team was performing well.

The former opposite revealed he would be returning to professional volleyball, but that has yet to happen as he now resurfaces in the same head coach role in a different country.

His immediate replacement Luke Eittit has also already been replaced by Johnson Kawenyera as OBB try to retain the league title.