Mukura beef-up squad with six new players

Mukura Victory Sports has signed six players to strengthen their squad ahead of the start of the new season in September.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Mukura Victory Sports has signed six players to strengthen their squad ahead of the start of the new season in September.The Black and Yellow side have signed, among others, Burundian duo Claude Nahimana and Hussein Kiiza from Burundian side Atletico.The Huye-based club have also signed local players Djarudi Ntakirutimana from Musanze FC, Nowa Habimana, Euphrem Kabayiza from second division side Bugesera FC and Protogene Rukundo from relegated Etincelles FC.The team has also renewed the contract of Hamidu Simpenzwe ‘Dudu’ and they are also in talks with Valentin Nkurunziza from National University of Rwanda.According to the club’s Secretary General Olivier Mulindahabi, the team will continue to sign new players until they reach their target of having the full squad, which can compete on high level.Asked if they will recruit other players, he replied: "Of course we want to strengthen the squad with new players but all that will depend on cost,” he said. "We are in talks with players and in the coming days we will announce the list of people we will get.They have lost Arafat Serugendo, who signed for Rayon Sports, Regis Ingabire joined AS Kigali, Gabriel Mugabo went to Police FC, Jean Paul Uwihoreye has signed for AS Muhanga.Meanwhile the Huye-based team is planning to increase their annual budget from Rwf120m to Rwf150m for the upcoming season.Last season, Mukura used Rwf80m out of the Rfw120m that had been budged after they failed to collect enough funds in terms of gate collection and other sources for their Kamena Stadium.The team’s main sponsors, Huye District, gave them Rwf60m but they have increased it by Rwf12m to make it Rwf72m, and the club will have to look for other sponsors in order to raise Rwf150m.Besides Huye District, other key sponsors, the club has also attracted sponsorship from Volcano Bus Services, ‘Huye Water’, Eco Queen and Cooperative Ingenzi. Mulindahabi also revealed that the club is set to receive a football kit from one die-hard fan ‘Hadji Hamdan’ who is based in Dubai.