APR Fc is in a painstaking search of a natural goal scorer to boost the squad ahead of the start of the 2007/08 season next month.

Andy Mfutila who led the military side to an unprecedented quadruple last season admitted this week that his side needs a lethal striker to enhance his striking force.

The need for a striker comes after the club’s poor performance on a training tour of Burundi where it played two matches that ended in a 0-0 draw against Vital’O and a 2-0 loss to Athletico last weekend.

Mfutila said, "We need a good striker to help these youngsters because I witnessed several missed goal scoring opportunities in both matches, which I can attributed to the lack of a natural scorer in our striking force.”

"All my strikers are young, good and talented but they still lack a bit of sharpness in front of the opposition goal, that’s why I’m thinking of bringing in one good striker who is capable of dealing with such situations,” he admitted.

The flashy DR Congo born coach also had reason to attribute his team’s 2-0 loss to Athletico.

He said it was due to fatigue on his young players who had to play two games in as many days just a day after they arrived in the Burundian capital Bujumbura by road.

"These players sacrificed a lot of energy in the first game against Vital’O before playing Athletico the following day and we also, we should not forget they are not used to playing on artificial turfs.

With an inexperienced striking line that includes youngsters in the likes of Elias Uzamukunda, Christian Umukiza, Eric Serugaba, Robert Ngoga, the nine-time national league champions need a natural goal poacher with the instinct to score goal even from half a chance the way Gatete used to do it in his prime.

The military side is expected to start training ahead of the start of the national football league on Monday in Gisenyi of the Northern Province.
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