The Stade Mustapha Ben Janet will be the center of attraction on Sunday September 18, as Rwandan giants APR seek to pull a masterstroke by dispatching US Monastir in their own backyard to qualify for the second round of the 2022/23 CAF Champions League.
APR defeated US Monastir by a lone goal to nil in the first leg at Huye and will be hoping to avoid defeat in Tunisia in order to make it to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
Times Sport takes a look at five things the Rwandan champions can do to make their dream of qualifying in Tunisia a reality.
Early goal
APR FC must aim for an early goal in Tunisia which will go a long way to unsettle US Monastir.
In deciding encounters, pressure is always on the home side and in the game on Sunday, the heat will be on US Monastir as they will be looking forward to killing the game early.
If APR FC gets an early goal, it will serve as a big blow to US Monastir as they will be forced to come attacking from all angles and this will make them leave open spaces which the army side can exploit.
Avoid clumsy mistakes in the penalty box
The APR defenders, especially Claude Niyomugabo should be very wary and watch his tackles in the box.
They should avoid close contacts, shirt pulling and should be more tactical because there might be no VAR and any incident inside the vital area could be a penalty and a red card.
Shut wings and force Monastir to play through the middle
Teams from North Africa usually play through the wings. They have skilful and talented players on the flanks who go on the line and deliver crosses.
When it comes to midfield play, North African teams are not strong so it will be prudent if APR shut the wings using a 3-5-2 formation and force US Monastir to the midfield where they can’t cope.
Coach Adil Mohammed should deploy Fitina Omborenga and Clement Niyigena as wing-backs as they can stop US Monastir from operating and force them to use the midfield. With Bonheur Mugisha and Bosco Ruboneka in midfield, APR can have a field day there.
Avoid rampant referee confrontation
The APR players should be very cautious on how they approach the referee if there is an infringement against them.
It will be good for the team if the skipper of the day remains the sole player who confronts the referee because if the going gets tough, the only thing which could break APR down is unnecessary showing of cards.