So, APR have come out and made it clear that their plucky decision to sack almost the entire squad from last season and replace it with new players, was more about balancing their accounts books than technical. To me, that decision was far too long over due. Being one of their major critics over the years, I wasn’t surprised that the club management finally saw the light after years ‘buying success’ with overpaid but above all, over-aged foreigners. Building the team around young Rwandese players is something that APR, with all their money should have done years before—but like they say, ‘better late than never.’ However, nothing good in life comes for free and with such extensive changes, the nine-time national league champions are for surely going to have to pay in one way of another, especially this season. To sack all your most experienced players whose efforts made the club the most successful in the county’s football history over the years and replace them with unproven youngsters, is surely a major gamble—however, in APR’s case; it’s a venture worthy taking. They could be well in into the evenings of their playing careers but players like Abdul Sibomana, Jimmy Gatete, Aime Ndizeye, Manfred Kizito, Alimansi Kadogo, Shaka Okello, Jannot Witakenge as well as younger ones in the likes of Vincent Kayiizi, Joseph Bwalya, Andre Lomami, and Jean Shyaka were still good enough to win more trophies at APR. But on the financial side of it, considering the fact that none of all these players was earning below Frw0.25 millions in monthly wages, such a decision was the only option if the club wanted to balance the books. Remember APR Football Club, big as they are and as successful as they have been over the years, have no official sponsor, they mainly depend largely fans’ generosity who dig deep into their personal fortune to keep the club going . Which, brings to one important thing that has been bothering me for such a long time—for so long, I have always wondered why, for the good of Rwandan football, have our local clubs failed to attract sponsors? Why do these clubs have to sit back and hope that only the gate collections would abundantly sustain their existence for ever? C’mon guys wake up and do something for yourselves. Football world-over has become one of the most profitable businesses but it’s a big shame that our local clubs or their leaders haven’t realized that. Well, let them continue sleeping while others (clubs in other regional countries and beyond) do the needful—even though it is said, ‘let the sleeping dog lie’, I wouldn’t be one to go that route. There is no way, not in million years, are we going to see football in this country develop, as we all wish, when clubs are feeding on craps and other getting corrupted to fix important matches. Apart from possibly APR and maybe Atraco, no any other club in this country’s topflight division has a sustainable budget to see it through a particular season—this is disaster. That’s why we’re seeing even APR, a club everyone, including your columnist, has been looking at as rich enough to sustain any size of squad, falling over and change its approach towards achieving success. After years of unrestricted spending on expensive ‘star’ players, the military club at last reached a point where it could not afford to spend so much anymore without any real returns. So, the best way to cut down on their costs, they laid off over 80 percent of its playing staff, most of whom were earning so much yet doing next to nothing to justify their wages. In my opinion, not only APR or Atraco or Rayon Sports should be in position to attract potential sponsors from all these private firms in the country but even smaller clubs should be able to do that. I don’t know whether I am just being too ideal but that’s the way I see it and if only our local clubs give it a try, I’m certain, our league could go on to become a lot more attractive, competitive but most importantly, entertaining for the fans who pay heavily to watch their idols in action. Even though I don’t have allegiance to a particular local club, but as a willing ally in the struggle to develop football in this country, I would wish to see, all the 12 first division clubs with sponsors backing them through and through. How about a situation where we have APR dressed in BRD sponsored shirts, Rayon in Rwandex Coffee, Mukura in MTN, Etincelles in Ecobank, Atraco in Atraco, AS-Kigali in Primus, Kibuye in New times or Kiyovu in Hamza Nkuutu & Co. LTD? The later is just to emphasize my point. Only such state of affairs would drive many us to start dreaming of a competitive national championship and better representation in continental competitions. It’s so interesting to see the rich crying but why should we allow such situations to arise yet we have the brains to make things work (for the better). Contact: nku78@yahoo.com
