SC Kiyovu will have to deal with the reality of losing key players

Speculation is something that gets fans talking and gets debate going about whether “Player J” is fine enough to be signed for their club, or why “Player M” ought not to come in. The SC Kiyovu administration will have to deal with life without influential key players, who are moving for greener pastures in the on-going transfer window.

Friday, July 12, 2013
Jejje Muhinde

Speculation is something that gets fans talking and gets debate going about whether "Player J” is fine enough to be signed for their club, or why "Player M” ought not to come in. The SC Kiyovu administration will have to deal with life without influential key players, who are moving for greener pastures in the on-going transfer window.Actually they will have to deal with the reality. There are three things you’re definitely going to hear, or observe, during the close season in any football league— speculation, rumours, and transfer deals. And 2013/2014 Primus-league season doesn’t look like it’s going to be any strange for some clubs, where some will now have to plan life without key players. Some of the local Primus league top players have been the focus of intense transfer speculation already. On the surface, the player’s situation is not so much a dispute as it is a mere difference of opinion, with the exception of APR, Police signing a couple of players while teams like SC Kiyovu have seen their breathtaking players join the band wagon; since the Greens have failed to meet their needs. With the transfer window open until September, there’s still plenty of time for some staggering deals to be done. For SC Kiyovu, the club looks to be in a pool position this season as far as losing players is concerned.The club had breathtaking players but truth be told, whether Kiyovu will be a big contender next season is without doubt solid to tell. Unless the club finds solutions to their problem, it’s likely to lose most of its influential key players.  The club led the table at the beginning of last season, however grave financial issues prompted them to end the season sitting in eighth position with 34 points, two points behind Musanze. The reality is that the club has failed to negotiate new contracts with players; prompting the likes of striker Julius Bakkabulindi, defender Juma Radju Niyonkuru and winger Djabir Mutarambirwa to pack their bags and cross over to La Jeunesse and Police.  And they are likely to witness other players fleeing the club if the administration is not keen about their solving club issues.Usually in such a situation, there are two ways of dealing with the issue; generating money by selling old folks (high earners) to other clubs for high fees, but retain young talent. This is likely to pave way for stardom for available talent to find their  boots. Otherwise Kiyovu needs to maintain the club history of being one of the competitive teams in the country’s soccer history. Clubs like APR and Police are signing new players to prepare for the next season. Police signings include striker Emmanuel ‘Crespo’ Sebanani from Mukura, Djabir Mutarambirwa from Kiyovu, Jean Paul Mutabazi from AS Muhanga among others.APR has so far signed Charles Tibingana Mwesigye from Victoria University (Uganda), midfielder Ernest Sugira from AS Muhanga, striker Michel Fils Ndahinduka from second division side Bugesera FC and goalie olivier Kwizera from Isonga. The 2012/2013 Champions Rayon Sports is slowly shaking the market. They have already signed Djihad Bizimana [Etincelles] and Claude Rwaka [La Jeunesse] and Burundian international striker Abdul Razak Fiston who was signed from Diable Nore of Congo Brazzaville.For now, the soccer transfer, speculation and rumours is the only talk and teams like Kiyovu will have to stomach the transfer reality in life for now. The loss of a player with talent such a Mutarambirwa and Bakkabulindi would be hard to take for Kiyovu fans or fans of any club for that matter.