APR FC coach Thierry Froger has urged his players to put their loss to Singida Big Stars behind and change their attitude to quickly recover and return to winning ways at the Mapinduzi Cup when they take on JKU SC on Wednesday January 3.

Froger’s side got off to a poor start to the competition, losing the first game 3-1 at the hands of Singida Big Stars on Monday, January 1.

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The Rwandan champions head into the game with a lot of pressure as defeat to JKU would see them miss out on ticket to the quarter-finals.

Froger admits his team was wasteful against Singida before urging his men to change their attitude ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

"We need to change our attitude, be mentally strong and be ready for the game until it is finished. It is a lesson for us but we have to correct them in the next matches," Froger said in a post-match interview.

"We had some good chances to equalize in the second half and win the game but we never utilized them. It’s the first defeat and we still have a chance to recover, it’s still too early. We shall bounce back,” he added.

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It was not a good start for APR but Froger still trusts his side can recover and beat JKU SC and do the same against Tanzanian giants Simba SC in their final group game.

Prior to the JKU game, the French man said, ‘We are going to prepare for the next game and give our best to do what we can to move to the next level. It is tough but we are ready to face them."

After stopping JKU SC 4-1 in the opening match, the Tanzania Premier League side fought from a goal down to defeat APR FC (Rwanda) 3-1 in a Group B match.

Mapinduzi Cup is an annual competition which is part of the anniversary celebrations of the Zanzibar Revolution, which expelled the Sultan from power on January 12, 1964.