Kagame Cup
Yesterday

Group C
APR   0-0   Ulinzi
St.George 7-0  Ports
Group B
Elman  0-3  Mereikh
Yanga  3-2   Bunamwaya
Today
Group A
Ocean View vs   Vital O’
Simba  vs  Red Sea

Despite being the dominant force in Rwandan football, APR were only good enough for the Group stages of the Cecafa/Kagame club championship.

The 2010 Cecafa champions were yesterday eliminated from the competition after drawing 0-0 with Kenyan side Ulinzi. As a result, APR won only one game in the Group stage when they beat minnows Ports of Djibouti 4-0 in their first match.

 The military side had complained of being paired with St.George in the same Group prior to the start of the tournament and it looks like their fears were justified when the Ethiopian side walloped them 3-1.

Lack of Goals

The Rwandan champions scored over 60 goals on their way to a domestic double of league and Peace cup titles but could only muster a paltry 5 goals in the Group stage matches, while their rivals St.George and Ulinzi doubled that tally with 11 and 10 goals respectively.

APR’s chronic under performance in regional and continental competitions is cause to worry. Despite enough resources to buy the best talent in the country and region, APR has only won the Cecafa cup 3 times in 16 years and has never lifted the trophy outside the country.

Although the military side seamlessly dominates the local league, judging by their 12 league titles and 10 Peace cup trophies in 16 years, they have never reached the Group stages of the elite champions’ league competition.

With 11 players out of contract and a squad with an average age of 27 years, the military side needs a new approach if they are to translate their local dominance on the region and continent.

St.George, which thrashed Ports 7-0 and Ulinzi will proceed to the quarter-finals that start Tuesday.

Rwanda’s two representatives APR and Etincelles are expected in the country this evening.

Ends