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Police Football Club head coach Andre Casa Mbungo is seeking to win the first leg against Atlabara FC of South Sudan in the preliminary qualifying round of the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup on today at Kigali Regional Stadium.

The 2015 Peace Cup champions, will be taking part in the continental tournament for the second time following their 2013 debut, where they were eliminated by LLB Académic of Burundi following 1-0 and 1-1 draw in return leg in Kigali.

Casa Mbungo aims to continue his success from last season after guiding the club to two trophies, Peace Cup and Agaciro Development Fund Cup in his first season in charge. Atlabara FC jetted in the country on Wednesday.

Two years ago, Mbungo had a little good run in the same competition with AS Kigali, in which the club, currently top of the Rwanda national football league table, reached the second round, the first time for any Rwandan club in Africa’s second biggest club competition.

Police will play without midfielder Hegman Ngomirakiza, who was injured during the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which run from January 16 to February 7 in Rwanda. Amavubi were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions, DR Congo.

It will also be the first time Police are playing without impressive skipper and forward Jacques Tuyisenge, who joined Kenya’s Gor Mahia last month; he was replaced by midfielder Innocent Habyarimana as team captain.

Other likely absentees include striker Idisbard Nshuti and central defender Patrick Umwungeri, who have both been down with malaria, according to Cassa Mbungo.

"Atlabara is a team you can’t undermine; it has strong and physical players, you saw how they performed in their home league. They have won their league, so we have to give our best performance,” Mbungo said.

"But we have good players and we will go into the game looking for a good result. We have prepared well for the game. We have to give our 100% because we need to advance to the next round,” noted the former AS Kigali coach.

His counterpart of Atlabara, Ugandan Leo Adraa said his team is in Rwanda to get a good away result, which would set them up for the return leg in Sudan in two weeks’ time.

The 64-year-old said, "We must do everything possible to get a result in Kigali so that we can finish the job in the second leg, it will be a tough game because Police are a very strong team and aggressive.” 

The former Uganda national team coach admitted that the reason he believes his team can get a good result in Kigali is because, to him, the South Sudan league is stronger than the Rwandan.

"They (Police FC) have got the experienced players and a good coach. I hope the fans will watch a good and entertaining game between two good teams,” noted Adraa, who guided his side to win both league and national cup.

The winner between Police and Atlabara will face the winner between Ajax Cape Town of South Africa and GD Sagrada Esperança of Angola in the next phase.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw