APR captain Thierry Manzi has challenged his teammates not to get carried away despite the army side’s healthy lead at the top of Rwanda Premier League table halfway the 2019/2020 season. The black-and-white side, with 37 points, hold a five-point lead over second-placed Police and they are six points ahead of defending champions Rayon Sports. Manzi scored the second goal as APR beat Rayon 2-0 last weekend to extend their unbeaten run to 15 matches this term. “I have confidence that with the talent we have, we can go all the way to the title,” said Manzi. Should APR clinch a record-extending 18th league title this season, Manzi will become the first player to captain two different teams to league titles in two consecutive seasons. The Rwanda international inspired Rayon Sports to the 2018-19 title before his controversial move to bitter rivals APR in June. “There is a long way to go, and the race is still widely open. We are leading but we should not get carried away, we cannot afford to we lose focus,” he added. About his spectacular captaincy, Manzi says, “When I first got the role, it was a big responsibility but one that I enjoyed and as time went by, it got a lot easier. I have grown into the role. It now feels pretty normal.” He added: “I have good people around me. I couldn’t ask for a better group of lads in our dressing room. We have the potential to win trophies, so it’s up to us to go and give results on the pitch.”
