After yet another disastrous CAF Champions League campaign, APR FC’s dreams of making it into the group stages continues to become a dream.

The army side suffered an early exit from the 2021/22 CAF Champions League following a 4-0 loss to Tunisian side Etoile Sportive du Sahel in the return leg on Saturday, something that frustrated the club supporters.

"I think it’s time for the club management to give up on fielding homegrown players only and start to bring in some foreign players if they want to find themselves among Africa’s club elite,” said Fabien Shem, an APR FC supporter.

APR have proven that they are in a league of their own in domestic football.

However, the club has struggled to impose that fear factor at the continental level.

Head coach Adil Erradi Muhammed and his boys still have a chance to learn from the mistakes committed in the champions’ league if he is to reach far in the CAF Confederation Cup.

APR management still backing coach

He may have guided APR FC to two consecutive league titles without tasting a single defeat but Adil’s competences at continental club competitions are increasingly below par for a club that wants to see themselves among the continent’s elites.

The Moroccan has been under intense pressure from club supporters who continue to insist that the army side deserves more than back to back early exits from the CAF Champions League.

The club’s elimination by Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel with 5-1 thrashing after two legs will no doubt prompt many to wonder what the future holds for Adil at APR FC, but his employers made it clear that they have no plans to sack him.

It was thought that the club management would have shown him an exit door the day the coach was suspended from coaching from the touchline due to the fact that he does not have coaching documents allowing him to coach at CAF-organised club competitions.

His absence from the touchline may have been another crucial factor that cost APR FC but the club management assured him that his job is safe until he gets his coaching documents as long as they are satisfied that his services match the club’s ambitions. 

"I think the documents he has are enough for us. What is important is the results he delivers on the pitch. You can’t question the competences of a coach who wins two consecutive league titles unbeaten. I would rather keep a coach who delivers without [coaching] documents than one who has documents but is incompetent,” said club Chairman Lt Gen Mubarakh Muganga.

"He has the same challenge as the head coaches of Simba SC and AS FAR Rabat. They have coaching documents provided by UEFA which are different to the documents provided by CA. we hope he will get his documents soon and continue his job,” he added.