Moroccan giants RS Berkane have confirmed the appointment of Florent Ibenge as their new head coach.
The Congolese replaces Spaniard Juan Pedro Benali on a two-year deal just a week after leaving AS Vita Club.
The 59-year-old was performing double duty with club and country for six years before resigning from the DR Congo national team after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations to focus on AS Vita Club.
The shock decision was made in the aftermath of the club losing the league title to TP Mazembe because of an alleged administrative error that resulted in a nine-point deduction.
The points deduction took AS Vita from league winners to third place at the end of the season and missed out on the Caf Champions League next season.
The former Shanghai Shenhua coach left with two league titles and two CAF inter-club finals to his name during the eight-year stay.
Berkane moved swiftly to secure his services, with the reigning Confederation Cup champions confirming his appointment on Monday afternoon.
تم صباح اليوم الإثنين 5يوليوز بمقر النادي التوقيع رسميا مع المدرب فلوران إيبينغي بعقد يمتد لموسمين.
و جاء توقيع المدرب السابق لمنتخب الكونغو الديمقراطية وفريق فيتا كلوب بعد الاتفاق على جميع تفاصيل العقد وتحديد الاهداف التي سيعمل عليها خلال الموسمين القادمين.
#𝙍𝙎𝘽𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘦 pic.twitter.com/j8wgflMVUt— RS Berkane (@RSBfootball) July 5, 2021
He will reportedly pocket $15,000 per month during his stay at the Botola Pro League club.
His first game in charge will see The Volcano take on Ittihad Tanger in their final league clash of the 2020/21 campaign.
By Abdul Karim Adamu Benin | www.sportyafrica.com