Once a thief, always one and it’s by no fluke that Ramadhan Nkunzingoma ran away with APR’s sign-on fee reported to be in the region of $10.000.

But the veteran goalkeeper won’t be missed even by an ounce because Aime Ndizeye Ndanda has returned to the club.

There was gloominess amongst the club faithful when Nkunzingoma was ‘retuned’ and Ndanda; the club’s longest serving shot stopper looked to be on his way out, actually he said, "some people are forcing him out of the club I love with my heart”.

As it is our responsibility, Times Sport exclusively broke the story a couple of weeks ago that the Burundian goalkeeper was bitter with some people at the club who were using their posts, like he put it, ‘to tarnish his name’ in the eyes of the club patron General James Kabarebe.

For starters, afande Kabarebe calls the shots at APR and to be on the secure side, one must be in good books with him if he is going to have a career at the military club.

In that story that we published, Ndanda was appealing to Gen. Kabarebe to intervene in his case and I am glad to note that, that piece must have worked its magic.

"He (Ndanda) is back at the club and already training with the rest of the team,” Eric Ntazinda, APR team manager confirmed yesterday.

In authenticating Ndanda’s inevitable return to the club he ‘loves with his heart’, Ntazinda also revealed how Nkunzingoma has been removed form the club’s squad.

He said, "Ramadhan is not an APR player. He signed (for us) but no sooner did he sign than he vanished and I hear he’s back in Congo.”

Asked about the amount of money, the Rwandan international had signed for and ran away with, the team manager said, "I know he had signed but I can’t say for how much nonetheless, I am personally happy to have Ndanda back with us.” Nkunzingoma did not only run away with APR money but he was also dropped from the national team for failing to turn up for residential training along with national teammate Kase Kalisa.

Ndanda has been probably the best short-stopper in the country over the years but even spending seven years at the military side couldn’t stop some people trying to ‘force’ him out of the club.

When news came through (to him) that he was no longer wanted at the club on the basis that he had over-priced himself for a new contract, he told this reporter, "It’s a lie to say that I demanded for Frw10 as sign-on fee, instead I asked for eight millions”.

 "Because of what happened to me when  I signed the last contract, I insisted that with all that I had done for the club, how can I get less money than a new keeper (Ramadhan Nkunzingoma) who isn’t even better than me.

Ramadhan is reported to have signed for $10.000 (about Frw5.4M).

However, whether he agreed the terms that the club was offering (Frw4M) or the club increased on its offer before he agreed to return remains a totally difference story altogether.

The 26-year-old was even between the posts in APR’s 3-1 defeat of Police Fc in a friendly played last Saturday and he’s expected to keep his place and when the league resumes after the ongoing Cecafa senior challenge cup in Tanzania.

Ndanda’s return to the military club is set to stiffen the competition for places with Jean Claude Ndoli and Boniface Oluoch who signed in close season from Umurabyo already on the books of the nine time national league champions.

Ends