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. The military side led in Cairo courtesy of first half goals from Jimmy Gatete and Olivier Karekezi before losing out narrowly 3-2 to hosts. However, this first leg tie was mauled by unfair officiating, a set back according to the then coach Jean-Marie Ntagwabira led to their loss in Cairo. In Kigali at Amahoro national stadium, the military side caused a major shock with three goals in 15 minutes. The Amavubi star striker, Gatete who had led the national team to the 2004 Nations Cup finals in Tunisia scored a brace in the first ten minutes of the game with Tanzanian born midfielder Hamdun Makoyi netting the third to give the home team a 3-0 half time lead. Kenyan import Mike Sirengo sealed the triumph on the 80th minute to energetically eliminate the five-time African club champions. Prior to the Zamalek encounter during the preliminary round, the military side had demolished Ansheba of Eritrea with a result which was not surprising but this result was an eye-opener in which the military side won 7-1 at home and 4-2 away thanks to one man’s brilliance, Ntagwabira. However, APR squad of experienced players failed to go past the third round stage as they lost to Ivory Coast champions, Africa Sport 4-5 on penalty shoot-out after full time had ended in a one-all draw. The one man who had this history made was Ntagwabira and with APR facing Zamalek yet again at the first round hurdle and with him now at Atraco, he told Times Sport on Thursday that the APR of four years ago was a lot better. In his own words, it (APR) was much more determined, confident but most importantly played as a unit—the team spirit was higher than anyone can ever imagine. “I had a well prepared squad, which was not afraid of facing even Africa’s best that is why we managed to play so well and convincingly throughout the preliminary stages. “After a 2-3 loss (to Zamalek) in Egypt, I was confident of winning the return leg at home because we were robbed in Cairo. We had Karekezi’s third goal wrongly cancelled but I told my players not to worry because we had a chance to get our revenge in Kigali and luckily we did,” Ntagwabira recalled. The APR of then was full of international stars including Rwandan internationals Jimmy Mulisa, Gatete and Karekezi just to mention but a few. However, Elias Ntaganda and goalkeeper Aime Ndizeye Ndanda are the only surviving members from that squad which shocked the Egyptians with free-flowing and attacking football. However, Ndanda is serving a one-match ban, which rules him out of today’s game, leaving Ntaganda the only player with fond memories playing against the North Africa giants. Other players like; James Odoch currently plying his trade in Vietnam, Francis Gonzaga is clubless after falling out with his bosses at Uganda’s Express earlier this month, Didier Bizimana is now with SC Kiyovu, Manfred Kizito with Ntagwabira at Atraco, while Gatete joined Rayon Sport this season. Karekezi and Mulisa went professional in Europe. Karekezi joined Norway premier league club Ham Kam last month after a long spell at Swedish side Helsingborg while Mulisa plays for Belgium second division club FC Hamme. Makoyi is back in his native Tanzania but still club-less at the moment after spending last season with Rwanda National Police FC. Now with a new look youthful squad faced with a daunting task to repeat the 2004 success, current coach Andy Mfutila and his youngsters will need more than miracle to achieve that against a side full of internationals seeking glory emulate their national team’s story at the just concluded Nations’ Cup in Ghana. Just one week after conquering Africa at national team level Egypt launch a challenge for continental club glory. Zamalek supplied a key cog of the Africa Cup of Nations 2008 winning team in Amr Zaky. Zaky, Hosni Abd Rabou who was player-of-the-tournament and Mohamed Aboutrika shared the honor of being their country’s leading scorers at the biennial tournament with four goals each, one behind Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o. Goalkeeper Mohamed Monsef and defenders Mahmoud Fathallah and Tarek al-Sayed were other Zamalek members of a 23-strong Pharaohs squad that defeated Cameroon 1-0 in the final last Sunday to win a record sixth continental title. Now they must swap the international media spotlight of Ghana for Kigali, capital of Rwanda, a central African country and home to military football club APR. And experienced coach Ruud Krol, a pivotal figure in the majestic Dutch national teams of the 1970s, will be acutely aware of the potential perils awaiting Zamalek, who have won the competition a record equaling five times. APR, whose squad is a mix of Rwandans and few foreign players from neighbouring countries, has embarrassed several big clubs in Kigali. Compared to the 2004 squad, the recent squad made of Saidot Boubakary and Kabange Twite, midfielders Jean Baptista Mugiraneza and Hegman Ngoma, Elias Uzamukunda and Jean Claude Ndoli in the goal posts to mention but a few, there are little chances that APR can repeat the 2004 win. The winner between APR and Zamalek will face the winner between Benin’s Tonnere FC and Ivory Coast’s Africa Sports next month. APR 2004 squad: Aime Ndanda, James Odoch, Elias Ntaganda, Francis Gonzaga, Didier Bizimana, Manfred Kizito, Jimmy Mulisa, Olivier Karekezi, Mark Sirengo, Jimmy Gatete and Hamdun Makoyi. Ends
