APR FC head coach Darko Novic has praised his players after progressing through to the 2024 CECAFA Kagame Cup final. The army side secured their spot to the final after eliminating Al Hilal Omdurman with 5-4 penalty shootout victory in the semifinals held at KMC Stadium on Friday, July 19. Both sides played out a goalless draw after extra time. Novic admitted that his team had not prepared for penalty shootouts, but the players lived up to expectations as they dispatched all their kicks. I owe credit to my players, we never actually prepared for penalties, and I wasn't the one who chose the takers,” the Serbian coach told the press in a post-match interview. “They did it themselves because they know the best takers. Practicing penalties at training is different from the real game because at training grounds no fans, so you relax. But in games, there are fans so there is pressure,” he added. During the game, Novic said they gave Al Hilal Omdurman so much respect before they gradually pinned them down. We started slowly and showing so much respect to our opponent from the very beginning. Gradually, we became aggressive and got hold of the encounter. We became equal, he added. APR will face Red Arrows in the final on Sunday, July 22. The Zambian outfit defeated Al Wadi 2-0 in the semifinals courtesy of two extra time goals from Paul Katema and Alasane Diarra.
