ON THE SPOT: Other clubs should be very careful

…or else we get more like Atraco and Electrogaz SOME people, for some reasons, must have enjoyed the news that Atraco Football Club was no more, while others greeted the news with sadness—although I bet no one shed a tear because the club had not only run out of business but also out of existence. What happened to Atraco was a long time coming, and as a partner in the wellbeing and development of Rwandan football, it hurts me to say that. Like many others, I thought Atraco’s coming was one of the best things that could happen to football in this country. Little did we know, or at least if we had an idea of what the so called proprietors of Atraco were planning with their toy in search for a quick kill, many of us wouldn’t have allowed to fall into the trap of looking more into the club at the larger picture. Atraco’s problems started well before the club pretended to dethrone the big bull in the kraal, and when they achieved just a fraction of what is actually need to be regarded a big team in the country, they appeared to believe their own hype and may be the bosses were overwhelmed by how quick things punned out for their team. When Atraco first came on the scene in 2006, it showed a lot of intent and by reading on the face value, the taxi-men side had come as a welcome relief to those who were (and still are) tired of APR’s monopoly on local football or to some extent the duopoly if you considered Rayon Sports. In five years of existence, Atraco had already taken Rwandan football by storm, winning the 2007/08 national league title, the 2008 Cecafa/Kagame Cup and reaching three consecutive MTN Peace Cup finals. And looking at the nature of coaches the club hired and sacked as well as the playing staff, you would be crazy not to believe that this club had a genuine reason to be around us. Yet, all this was being done without a long term plan. It was like dressing in the most beautiful suit on a dirty body. May be whoever said, all that shines is not gold, must have had Atraco and a whole lot of our local clubs in mind. Atraco’s woes are not a seldom thing in regard to all local clubs, it’s rather unfortunate that the former’s managers tried so hard to rival the already established king of the jungle whatever the cost, and in the end paid a heavy price for being silly. A club that hires Sam Ssimbwa to replace Alois Kanamugire (who brought the club to first division), Jean Marie Ntagwabira and Sam Timbe in a space of four seasons is either extremely ambitious or just don’t have a clue on the realities of football, and at worst both, yet, in the real world the two are no bedfellows. Fortunately, Atraco’s bombshell went off at a time when everyone was preoccupied with the World Cup in South Africa, so their news of going insolvent (hence out of existence) received little attention. You can say Atraco’s troubles were overtaken by the events at the time. However, with Electrogaz following suite to go out of existence, it’s a worrying sign for the future almost all first division clubs, even APR must be very careful with their cheque book(s) or else, when the time comes and one or two of their main financiers gets bored and decided to close his (you know what?), I highly doubt they’ll have a sound plan B to turn to maintain the standards. nku78@yahoo.com