APR FC’s elimination from the CAF Champions League has drawn mixed reactions among the military side’s supporters. The Rwanda Premier League reigning champions were on Saturday, December 5, knocked out of the competition on a 4-3 aggregate following a 3-1 shock defeat to Kenyan champions Gor Mahia at Nyayo Stadium, in Nairobi, Kenya. There were some reports that defeat would lead the club management to consider sacking head coach Adil Mohammed Erradi following his failure to qualify his team to the next rounds of the continent’s premier club competition, despite leading the club to their 18th league title without losing any match. However, in a statement released on Sunday, December 6, the club decided to show full support to the Morrocan tactician, by giving him another chance to improve his team’s performance this season. “APR FC administration confirms the continuation with our coach Mr. Mohammed Adil Erradi as well as the great confidence that we have in him and his quality work despite the elimination of the CAF Champions League,” the club statement said. Although Adil Erradi’s tactics in Kenya did not impress a number of club supporters, some of them who spoke to Times Sport believe that the Moroccan deserves another chance to build a strong team ready to compete in future continental competitions but called for immediate changes to beef up the squad if the club is to challenge for a title in Africa. “I don’t have a problem with a coach but the goalkeeper. We have often doubted the quality of the goalkeeper. For years, the best goalkeepers in the league always belonged to APR FC, but it is now the opposite. If you can’t rank among Rwanda’s top five goalkeepers or make it into at least the national team’s squad, it’s simple for people to question your performance,” said Pierre Muragijimana. Muragijimana, who is the president of APR’s Online Fan Club said APR FC should react quickly and buy a goalkeeper who will replace Umar Rwabugiri who is yet to win over APR FC’s fans and he also suggested the club to start thinking about recruiting quality foreign players to add experience to the current squad. “The only problem we have is a goalkeeper and I believe the club’s management will address it if we are to perform well in continental competitions. And if the policy of playing home grown players doesn’t materialize, we can also start thinking about foreign players,” he added. Gregoire Gisa, another APR FC supporter, said the club’s early elimination should not surprise anyone and that its performance at continental competitions should be looked at in a bigger picture given that the national team itself isn’t doing well in Africa. Gisa, however, insists the club can only do better under tactician Erradi if his employers give him a chance to fix some few mistakes in his squad. “Only the best in the league has to come to APR FC and if the coach got the best out of them, the club and even the national team will, sooner or later, bear fruit for both of them,” he said. The premier league champions will be looking to defend their title as they visit Sunrise on December 14 after their two opening league games against Musanze and Gorilla FC were postponed as a result of the club’s preparations for the CAF Champions League.
