Froger on APR fans boos: I understand their frustrations
Thursday, December 07, 2023
APR FC head coach Thierry Froger speaks to journalists after a goalless draw against Gasogi United on December 5. Dan GATSINZI

APR FC head coach Thierry Froger says the club fans have every right to vent their frustrations for the team's stumbling performance in the Primus National League.

Fans booed the French tactician to express their disappointment at club’s unimpressive output after goalless draw against Gasogi United at Kigali Pele Stadium on Wednesday.

Froger said the fans were right to boo him and admits his side should work harder to improve their performance in the next matches.

" I think they (players) did what they had to do. We could have done better but, unfortunately, we didn’t. I understand the fans’ disappointment but you can’t win every match. We will make sure that we win the next match," Froger said in a post match press conference

"In front of us, there were warriors who wanted to beat us. It's normal, we are at the top of the table standings. We defeated everyone. That's how the league is and we have to accept it and find solutions."

ALSO READ: Photos: Underfire Froger booed as Gasogi United hold APR FC

No pressure

APR have managed just one a win their last three league games, raising concerns among fans who are already calling on the club’s hierarchy to sack him.

But Froger insists that he doesn't feel any pressure from the current situation as long as his team still leads the race for the title. Instead, he still believes he can get things back on the right track to avoid dropping more points.

"I don’t feel any pressure at all. We are in good working condition,” he said.

"We missed a lot of chances in the first half (against Gasogi United), that was really unfortunate, we had to put in more intensity. We came back in the second half, we rectified but we weren't fair enough and it gave us this little point of success."

"We have the opportunities, but now we have to make them happen through the right technical gestures and will. We need to change things because it’s true that in terms of results it’s insufficient," he added.

Fallout with Shaiboub

Sudanese midfielder Sharaf Eldin Shaiboub is among players who signed for APR in July after club made a U-turn on their decade-long ‘homegrown players only’ policy in December 2022.

However, he has been frozen out by the coach after the pair reportedly had a fallout, prompting the tactician to drop him out of his starting 11.

Shaiboub also spent 90 minutes on the bench during APR draw against Gasogi, leaving the fans disappointed at full time as they sang his name.

Asked about Shaiboub’s snub, Froger revealed that selection of players was in his discretion and he cannot fill all the expatriate players.

"I’ll say it again, it's my choice and there are regulations on foreign quota rule...It’s not me who makes the regulations, there are eight foreign players and I am allowed to use only six (in the lineup)," he explained.

APR are still leading the league table, a point clear of second-placed Rayon Sports and Musanze FC while Police FC sit fourth with 25 points.