APR president Brig. Gen. Alex Kagame has refuted claims that the club’s head coach Erik Paske has been sacked following the team’s hasty exit from the Orange Champions League.

APR lost to reigning African champions TP Mazembe on goal aggregates (2-1) to exit the lucrative tournament but Kagame says that Paske is on a short holiday to his native country, the Netherlands and should be back by next week.

"He was given time off after the Mazembe game to go and visit his family but we expect him back on Tuesday.”

Speculation has been rife that Paske’s contract ran out early this month but the club chief insists that he is still under contract.

"As far as we are concerned, he is still under contract and still in charge of this team.”

Paske took over from Rene Feller last year in April after the latter resigned due to health complications. The pair was appointed to manage the military side at the start of the 2008/09 league season.

In his absence, his assistant Eric Nshimiyimana managed yesterday’s Primus league tie against Mukura.

The military side was also without skipper Patrick Mafisango, Tchimanga Mutamba, Didier Kapet and the Malawian pair of Victor Nyirenda and Chikuepo Msowoya.

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