APR, Rayon overhaul squads for Kagame Cup

Cecafa/Kagame SaturdayVital’O v BenadirSimba v Tusker SundayMiembeni v AwassaYanga v APR MondaySID v DendenRayon v URA Rwanda’s representatives APR and Rayon Sport have hastily signed players to bolster their squads for the Cecafa/Kagame club championships which gets underway on Saturday, July 12-26 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Nine-time national league champions and twice Kagame Cup champions APR have resigned striker Abbas Rassou from Moroccan side Olympique Khuoribga, Eritrean international midfielder Berhane Arega, Kimalwa Mwembo (DR. Congo) and Cameroonian defender Dairon Hamadou. The quartet has been signed to bolster the military side as they seek to defend the regional title they won last year on home soil. “I want APR to retain the title and that is why we are reinforcing the squad. I’m quite confident about my young squad’s chances of retaining the title,” APR Dutch head coach Rene Feller told Times Sport yesterday. On the other hand, Rayon Sport managed to secure signatures of two Congolese players amidst the club’s players’ crisis. The duo, Roger Kakoko (AS New Soger) and Hussein Meka (Vita club) will help in ensuring a stable midfield combining with James Kidega and Albert Nyumbayire according to head coach Raoul Shungu. Though both clubs strengthened their squads in readiness for the tournament, they dropped some of their top players from the traveling squads that left for Tanzania yesterday afternoon aboard Kenya Airways. However, Rayon departure was still in balance as players were demanding unpaid salaries before they step on the plane. By press time, Rayon and Ferwafa officials were still in negotiations about finding ways of solving the problem. APR’s Aloua Gaseruka has been left out but Feller has defended his action saying that he wants to feature young players who can adhere to his tactics and techniques. While Rayon traveled without Labama Bokota, Kalisa Kase, Taribo Mambo Tambo, Cyril Pizzolera and Geremi Dusenge. Other players left out of the squad include Ugandan born defender Shaka Okello, Philip Gasana, Nedved Karekezi and goalkeeper Alexis Mugabo. The champions, APR have been drawn in group C along with Tanzania’s Yanga, Awassa from Ethiopia and Miembeni from Zanzibar. Rayon are in group B and will start their campaign against Uganda Revenue Authority on Monday. Other teams in the group are Denden from Eritrea and Djibouti’s SID. President Kagame has been bankrolling Cecafa club championship to a tune of $60.000 in prize money since 2002. Squads APR: Aimé Ndizeye, Jean-Claude Ndoli, Mwemere Girinshuti, Kabange Twite, Jean Mugiraneza, Haruna Niyonzima, Elias Uzamukunda, Jabir Mutarambirwa, Fuadi Ndayisenga, Saddou Boubakary, Elias Ntaganda, Karim Nizigiyimana, Mbuyu Twite, Hegman Ngoma, Moses Odhiambo, Abbas Rassou, Fredrick Onyango, Berhane Aregay, Masudi Kaka, Kimalwa Mwembo, JMV Rukundo, Jean Bosco Uwacu, Dairon Hamadou and Eric Serugaba. Rayon: Vladimir Niyonkuru, Aphrodice Hategikimana, Albert Nyumbayire, Djuma Masudi, Djamal Tuyisenge, Freddy Ndaka, Jean Lomami, Jimmy Gatete, Olivier Uwingabire, Aimable Rucogoza, Bonaventure Hategikimana, Yves Twajamahoro, Laurence Webo, Mike Yossam, Jimmy Kidega, Abdul Uwimana, Roger Tuyisenge, Roger Kakoko, Hussein Meka and Ndume wa Ndume. Ends

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APR, Rayon overhaul squads for Kagame Cup