Is APR a victim of its own success?

Rwanda’s most successful football, forced to sack its two top officials from the club’s management on Tuesday, is facing another worrying crisis as they attempt to complete their first meaningful continental championship quest since 2004. The importance of APR is invariably demonstrated by its finances and the successes at home and in the region. Despite their relatively modest size on continental level, they have become an established regional side, and with excellent links in the local community. It is a sorry tale that a club with such base has failed to break into continent most prominent sides. Here I mean teams that are prominent in Africa Champions League year in year out and the last time APR upset one of the big ones was in 2004. Here I mean sides like Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Al Ahly, Zamalek, Club Sportif Sfaxien, TP Mazembe and Enyimba. In 2004, APR broke a fret by qualifying to the second round stage of the African Champions League after eliminating Egyptian side El Zamalek on a 6-4 goal aggregate. Zamalek, champions of Africa, a record five times were packed with Egyptian stars with likes of Hosni Mohammed and his brother Mohammed Hassan well versed in the rigors of international football. But just what has gone wrong at APR? By the turn of 2005 some fans wanted to see a little bit more ambition. They had perhaps had too much of a good thing basing on the 2004 triumph over the Knights of Cairo.The team started disbanding The APR of then was full of international stars including Rwandan internationals Jimmy Mulisa, Jimmy Gatete and Olivier Karekezi just to mention but a few. Five years later, only Elias Ntaganda and goalkeeper Aime Ndizeye are the surviving members from that squad which shocked the Egyptians with free-flowing and attacking football masterminded by coach Jean Marie Ntagwabira. Other players like; Ugandan duo of James Odoch and Francis Gonzaga were part of team.APR failed to keep the fire burning. Matters weren’t helped by the rude sacking of seventeen players two seasons ago including striker Gatete. A team isn’t built overnight, it’s a gradually process, and if APR is to join the elite class, I believe professionalizing club operations should be the next thing to have a look at. Quoting club chairman Brig. Gen Alex Kagame on the sacking of the Secretary General Aime Kayinamura and team manager Capt. Eric Ntazinda, he said that the club is not planning any possible replacements for the duo. Kayinamura has been the acting Secretary General for nearly six months while Ntazinda ascended to the manager’s position in 2003. The two have been the link between technical staff, players and the management. The lack of this channel should be filled, Mr. Chairman. The club’s scouting network which was one of the main reasons for the sacking, according to one source should be transparent to avoid big spending on average players. I think this is very important. For the club to show more ambition they would have to spend more money on good players and so it is imperative they gave the technical team time to succeed. So how can APR go about putting things right? Contact: kas2dani@yahoo.com dkasule@newtimes.co.rw

Lifestyle

Is APR a victim of its own success?