Tanzania’s Azam FC eye APR’s Mugiraneza

Tanzanian giants Azam FC have expressed interest in signing APR midfield maestro Jean Baptiste ‘Migi’ Mugiraneza, Saturday Sport has established. The holding midfielder, who will be out of contract at the army side after the ongoing Peace Cup on July 4, has been linked to several clubs in the East African region as well as in Turkey. In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Azam FC team manager Said JemedariKazumari revealed that, “We want to sign Mugiraneza because he is a very efficient player. We have been following him closely since last year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup in Kigali.” The ice cream makers finished second in the Tanzanian Premier League, 10 points behind champions Young Africans (Yanga) but Kazumari believes Mugiraneza’s presence will help Azam reclaim the league title they won last year. “We want to dominate Tanzanian football and get better in the CAF Confederations Cup to boost our presence on the African continent and with Mugiraneza, we shall achieve that if we sign him. He is that kind of player we have been missing,” explained the optimistic Kazumari. Mugiraneza boasts of massive experience from APR where he won six league titles, seven Peace Cup trophies and two CECAFA Kagame Cup titles (2007 and 2010) since joining the most successful club in Rwanda’s football history. “I am forever grateful to APR for the eight years I have spent at the club. It has been a great time and the club has shaped me into the man that I am. I have managed to build a house, buy a car, marry my wife Gisa (Fausta) and I have a baby girl now. I have achieved all this at APR,” explained Mugiraneza. However, the Rwanda international, Mugiraneza, admitted that he is concentrating on the ongoing Peace Cup which he wants to help APR to win as a goodbye achievement. Title holders, APR, take on Police FC in the semi-final with the first leg scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Kicukiro stadium. The first semi-final pits Rayon Sports against Isonga FC this afternoon at Muhanga stadium. He noted, “I am concentrating on the Peace Cup right now and after I will make the decision on the club I will join. I have some offers on the table from East African teams and some in Europe and I will look into each of them and make my decision soon.” The midfielder highlighted that it is time to move on to the next challenge. He said, “I am searching for my next test and I want to move to a club where I can win the CAF Champions League because it is a trophy I have not won before.” If Mugiraneza joins Azam FC, he will be the second Rwandan player to join the ice cream makers who had earlier signed former Amavubi captain Patrick Mafisango before his untimely death in a car accident in 2012.