THE Minister of Defence James Kabarebe is optimistic 13-time Rwandan league champions, APR FC, who ended last season trophyless, will bounce back to the top next season.

Kabarebe, who doubles as the club’s honorary president, said on his Twitter account: "I will create more time for APR FC next season. We expect to regain our glory.”

"APR FC management is good; its players are motivated and next season results will be good.” He added: "Trust, APR FC’S next season performance will be good.”

After a long spell dominating local football, the country’s most successful club ended the 2012/13 Primus league season without a domestic trophy.

Having been piped to the league title by rivals Rayon Sports, the military side crashed out of the 2013 Peace Cup edition in the semi-final at the hands of AS Kigali to endure one of it’s worst seasons in its 20-year history.

APR finished third with 46 points, 11 points behind the champions Rayon Sports and a further six points adrift of Police, who secured second position for a third successive season.

Kagame Cup

APR, who have won the regional Cecafa/Kagame Cup title in 2004, 2007 and 2010, will be hoping to claim this year’s title for the first time on a foreign soil if they are not to end the season empty-handed.

Andreas Spier’s team, which will represent Rwanda in the regional tournament slated for this month, has been drawn in Group A alongside Sudan’s Merreikh Al Fasher, Simba (Tanzania) and Elman of Somalia.

The Cecafa Kagame Cup is scheduled to be held in the Sudanese states of North Darfur and North Kordofan from June 18 through July 2.

Regional clubs that will join APR in the quest for the title include Yanga and Simba from Tanzania, Merriekh El Fasher and Al Hilal Kadugli from Sudan, Express from Uganda, Kenya’s Tusker FC, Burundi’s Vital’O, Ports of Burundi, Elman of Somalia, Al Nasr of South Sudan and Falcons from Zanzibar.