Inyemera WFC president Ancille Munyankaka has described the club's race for the women’s topflight league title with AS Kigali as ‘fighting a lion.’
READ ALSO: AS Kigali crowned women football league champions
Inyemera WFC challenged AS Kigali to the title this season until the last day of the league campaign. The pair was separated by just one point to the final league game but AS Kigali held on to clinch their record 13th title after beating Kayonza WFC 3-0 on Sunday, April 23.
Munyankaka would have loved to see her team lift their first league title but AS Kigali spoiled their party on the last day.
Although the club boss admits that the energy and spirit that his team showed during the just-concluded campaign were worth a silverware, she has no one to blame because the better team [AS Kigali] won.
"I can’t blame anyone because we gave our all this season but, unfortunately, we were in a battle with a giant lion,” Munyankaka told Times Sport.
"Personally, the ladies gave everything and they should be proud of what they have done...even their spirit of competing till the last minute for me was impeccable. AS Kigali has been winning almost everything for the past decade, we have to proudly accept the results.”
READ ALSO: AS Kigali women made to wait for the title as Inyemera win forfeit appeal
"But our season isn’t finished yet because we are in the quarter finals of the Peace Cup, so we are going to invest all remaining energy into it even though winning the league was our first target,” she added.
We will be back stronger!
Inyemera may have suffered a last-minute title heartbreak, but Munyankaka insists that the team will again come back looking to dethrone AS Kigali.
"We dreamt of representing Rwanda at the CAF Champions League next season but our hopes ended at the last minute. But we will come back stronger,” She said.
To achieve it, Munyankaka urges stakeholders including Gicumbi District, their main sponsor, to help the club in all possible financial ways so that the team can compete at a higher level next season.
"Many of our players’ contracts expire at the end of this season and renewing them or signing new players takes a huge budget. So if we are to compete for the titles next season, we need to look into it earlier,” she said.
"We still have some unpaid salaries so it is even difficult for us to convince the players to renew their contract yet we still owe them some money. That’s why we are asking the district to act before it is too late,” she added.