Super Cup: APR demolition, Blues masterclass and five things that stood out

Thierry Froger’s APR FC were handed a reality check as Charles Bbaale, Rashid Kalisa and Joachiam Ojera came to the party to inspire Rayon Sports to a convincing 3-0 victory over the military side at Kigali Stadium on Saturday, August 12 to lift the 2023 Super Cup. With APR set for their Africa Champions League campaign this weekend and Blues also coming back to action ahead of their opening league game against Gasogi United, the pair's output means a lot to pundits and connoisseurs of the game. Times Sport takes a look at five things we learnt from the game. Did APR sign the right foreign players? The Army side has spent millions of Francs on foreign players this transfer window in a development that brought the club’s decade long ‘home grown players only’ policy to an end. However, looking at their performances from the past two games against Mukura and Rayon Sports, one will not be far from right by questioning whether the club signed the right expatriate players who the top management believe can push them through to at least the CAF Champions League group stages. Before the Super Cup against Rayon Sports, former APR skipper Djabel Manishimwe dropped the bombshell when he said that the new foreign players that APR signed are not any different compared to the current local players who were at the club last season. Manishimwe was told that he is not part of the club’s new football project and some may quickly think that his comments were motivated by his imminent exit from the club on loan to Mukura VS. However, aside from Sudanese midfielder Sharaf Shaiboub, who has been top notch, and Burundian Ismail Nshimirimana who already knows the league having featured for Kiyovu, the rest still have a point to prove ahead of the new season. Striker Victor Mbaoma flattered by scoring a hat trick against Marines, a team which APR has always defeated, but he labored for 180 minutes against Mukura and Rayon. It is too early to judge their performances but the likes of Mbaoma, Apam Assongwe and other new signings are giving APR fans a big headache. After all, the club has money to get any good player they want on the continent. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Ojera punishes APR to inspire Blues to 2023 Super Cup glory Ojera's magic continues The Ugandan forward who was one of the key players in the Rayon Sports team during the 2022/23 season was in his elements again. He changed the phase of the game with a stupendous second half performance. Ojera won two penalties as he himself converted one for the third goal after Rashid Kalisa scored another. In the absence of Leandre Onana, Ojera looks like Rayon's new star man this season. ALSO READ: Taddeo Lwanga, Pitchou lead APR transfer shortlist APR need Niyigena back as early as possible The military side’s defensive struggles continue with defender Clement Niyigena still sidelined through injury since March. The league champions have been very porous and have let in goals in most of the games that they played. Against Rayon, skipper Prince Buregeya and Younoussou Nshimiyimana who played in the heart of defense were totally at sea as they were mesmerized by Ojera, Charles Bbaale and Rharb Youssef. APR needs Niyigena back as soon as possible to stabilize their defense or sign another defender to avoid their persistent defensive masterstroke. Blues can even get better Rayon's performance at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Saturday, August 12, shows that they can even improve more. They were average in the first half but Yamen Zelfani's pep talk at half time changed everything as his men took the game by storm with an incredible second half performance. They made use of three of the five chances they got throughout the game which was remarkable. Apam Assongwe's unpardonable miss Froger has a lot to do concerning his attackers. Victor Mbaoma was virtually out of the game as he struggled throughout. Apam also missed three glaring chances including the one that he hit the ball wide while he had an empty net at his disposable after he landed on Bonheur Hategikimana's missed kick to Abdul Rwatubyaye.