Kiyovu Sports part ways with Mark Harrison

Kiyovu Sports have parted ways with English coach Mark Simon Harrison, less than two months after he was appointed to lead the club into the 2026/27 season.

Kiyovu president Nkurunziza David confirmed the decision on Wednesday, October 8, saying Harrison had left the club for personal reasons and that there had been no dispute between the coach and the club leadership.

The development emerged after Harrison was absent from Wednesday’s training session, prompting speculation among Kiyovu supporters about his future.

The coach had also appeared to signal the departure in communication involving the club's chief executive, Audace.

Nkurunziza subsequently confirmed to Kiyovu supporters that the Englishman was no longer in charge.

The departure comes after a difficult opening to Kiyovu's BK Pro League campaign.

The club have collected three points from their opening three matches, winning once and losing twice.

Kiyovu’s only league victory came against Bugesera FC on September 15, when defender Rwabuhihi Aimé Placide scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory at Kigali Pelé Stadium.

The result gave Harrison his first league win with the club after an uneven start to the campaign

Harrison’s tenure began with considerable expectations.

Kiyovu appointed him in late July as a replacement for Francis Haringingo, who had left the club to take charge of rivals Rayon Sports.

The English coach arrived in Kigali in early August and formally began working with the squad ahead of the new campaign.

The club had been without a permanent head coach following Haringingo’s departure, with assistant coach Ayubu Sebarera Khaliru overseeing the team before Harrison’s arrival.

Harrison was expected to rebuild the squad and restore Kiyovu's competitiveness after a difficult previous campaign.

His short spell also included the FERWAFA Super Cup final, where Kiyovu faced Police FC.

The appointment had been viewed as part of a wider effort to return the historic club to the top end of Rwandan football.

Born in Derby, England, in December 1960, Harrison is an experienced coach with extensive African football experience.

Before moving into management, he played as a goalkeeper for clubs including Port Vale and Stoke City in England and made more than 200 senior appearances during his playing career.

His coaching career has taken him across several African countries.

He has managed South African clubs including Mpumalanga Black Aces, African Warriors, Bay Stars, Chippa United and Golden Arrows.

He also worked in Zimbabwe with CAPS United, Harare City and Highlanders, while in East Africa he managed Kenyan giants Gor Mahia.

One of his notable achievements came in Botswana, where he guided Township Rollers to the Premier League title in 2016.

He also led Harare City to the Chibuku Super Cup in Zimbabwe in 2017.

His most recent African assignments before Kiyovu included technical-director roles with Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers and a spell with Mozambique’s UD Songo.

Harrison’s departure leaves Kiyovu facing another coaching change at a crucial stage of the season.

The club are scheduled to face Marine FC on October 10, meaning preparations for the next league match will now take place without the coach who began the campaign at the helm.