APR FC head coach Darko Novic insists his players have a lot more to offer despite progressing to the CECAFA Kagame Cup semifinals. The Rwandan champions booked ticket to the tournament’s semifinals after Monday’s 1-1 draw with SC Villa at the KMC Stadium saw them finish at the top of Group C with 7 points. Olivier Dushimimana gave the army side the lead in the 30th minute before SC Villa pulled even in the 45+1 minute through Najib Yiga but the draw was not enough for the Ugandan champions to leapfrog APR to go top of the group, as they trail in second place with 5 points. APR may have reached the last four unbeaten, but Novic is demanding more from his side which had scored only three goals in three group stage matches. “We have won two matches and drawn once and that is not bad. But we need to work harder in the semi-finals,” Novic said in a post-match interview on Monday. All in all, the Serbian coach was happy with his team making it to the next stage and is optimistic that his players can maintain the winning momentum in the semifinals as long as they stick to his instructions. Meanwhile, Singida Black Stars FC defeated El Merreikh Bentiu 3-1 in the second Group C match held at the Azam Complex, Chamazi on Monday. The Tanzanian Premier League side, which lost their first two matches in the group stages, took a 2-0 lead before the half time break courtesy of goals from Marouf Tchakeh and Edmund John. After the interval, Jack James pulled one back for the South Sudanese side after 47 minutes but Singida continued pushing forward and scored their third goal through Ayou Lyanga. The semi-finals will take centre stage on July 17. The champions of CECAFA Kagame Cup will walk away with a cash prize of US$30,000; the runner-up will bag US$20,000 while the team which will finish in third place will take US$10,000.
