Saturday

CAF Champions LeaguePreliminary roundFirst legZanaco 0-0 APR FCSecond leg, Feb. 18APR FC vs Zanaco APR FC assistant captain Michel Rusheshangoga has said the team is confident about eliminating Zambia’s Zanaco to the first qualification round of the CAF Champions League following a goalless draw in the first leg played on Saturday in Lusaka.

A draw away from home is not a bad result for the Rwandan champions, but it’s not so good either as any scoring draw in the second leg this coming weekend only favours Zanaco.

Speaking to Times Sport after the match, the full-back admitted that they had done nothing yet and needed to win the second leg to progress to the next round of Africa’s biggest club competition in which they don’t have a very good record since reaching the second qualification round in 2004.

"I can only salute my teammates for a job well done away from home, but we need to score goals in Kigali and win to eliminate reach the next stage. We need to be well prepared physically and mentally for the second leg,” said the former Isonga FC player said.

He added: "I am happy that we have not lost away but we need to work hard to win the game at home and progress to the next round. It was going to be trickier if we had lost but now we have to do with the goalless draw,” he added.

Midfielder Patrick Sibomana hit the post with a superb free-kick in the 27th minute, three minutes after striker Issa Bigirimana’s attempt was thwarted by Zanaco goalkeeper Racha Kola.

The Rwanda international added, "We missed a lot of chances but we will now look forward to the second leg in Kigali.”

Zanaco also missed their own chances with midfielder Saith Sakala coming so close in the 39th minute while Augustine Mulenga saw his 76th minute header thwarted by APR goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure.

APR entered residential training camp on Monday ahead of the second leg. They are staying at Nyiramacibiri Diana Fosey in Shyorongi and will return to Kigali two days before the game on Saturday.

The two sides meet this weekend and the winner will progress to the first round of the continent’s premier club league whether they will play either Young Africans from Tanzania or Ngaya of Comoros.

The first round fixtures will be played on the weekends of March 11-13 and 17-19. The overall losers in the first round fixture will drop to the CAF Confederation Cup.

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