For the first time in more than three years, we’re going into the new football season with no real favorite for the topflight division league title, among the usual suspects—that’s the way I see it. The new league season, 2007/08 kicks off on Wednesday, November 21 and in my opinion, no one club among the big three, Atraco, APR and Rayon Sports in no particular order, can be confident of the title like it has been in the last three or so seasons. APR has, for one reason or another been the dominant force in the last 13 seasons since the national league was re-established in 1995, winning nine title along the way including the last three on the trot. But with a new-look squad, chances of winning an unprecedented fourth on the bounce look a lot slimmer than it has ever been in recent campaigns. But, it’s not APR only though, even Rayon and Atraco, their main title challengers, have signed so many new players during the close season and one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientists to the realize that the three clubs are going to need their players get acquainted with how to play with each other. It goes without saying that the players would need time to gel as a team and so the first coach to manage that would certainly go on to win the title and how I’d love to be proved wrong come next June. Of course there are going to be games where you would expect the big guns to reap through just by the mention of their players and there’re those that are going to need big character to come through. APR has changed their old-fashioned policy of buying old foreign players for large chunks of money and have now taken to signing young and up en coming Rwandan players good change of heart. I hope their plans pay off for them. Now with several of the country’s next generation top players on their books, the military side is certainly destined to continue its dominancy, but the coming season is surely going to be a massive test for them. The blend of young talent and good quality experience is undoubtedly going to bring better times at APR but the more I think of the fact that football isn’t a straight-forward business, the more I yearn to find out what the future holds for Rwanda’s leading football club. While Andy Mfutila and the Generals at APR attempt to assemble a squad built around the country’s top young talents, their rivals at Atraco and Rayon are in the wings just waiting to take full advantage of any slip-up. When Atraco came on the scene two years ago, many, especially the neutrals, looked at it as a team whose coming would put a stop APR’s dominancy and it almost happened in their debut season in topflight division—they finished the season just a point off the champions APR. Their second season wasn’t as enjoyable as the first and they needed a last day victory to snatch third spot from Mukura who by every stretch of imagination, were the league surprise package. However, going into their third season in the top division, fans expect Jean Marie Ntagwabira’s side to do a lot better and there would be no more silly excuses if the club doesn’t do better than it has done in the last two seasons—this makes them hungrier to succeed. No disrespect to Mfutila and Thierry Hitamana but in Ntagwabira, Atraco have probably the best coach among the top three clubs and in his second full season in charge, Atraco should have a big claim on the league title. As for Rayon, without a league title in three years, I can’t imagine the reaction in their loyal fans if three infuriating years became four by the time we reach next June. The country’s most followed club yet the most jumbled has not won any silverware since winning the league in 2004 and in an ideal world, it’s unacceptable to for a club of such caliber, at least as far as their supporters are concerned. This leaves Hitimana (the club coach) with such a big a challenge to try and succeed where all his more experienced and better qualified predecessors failed—I can’t wait for the new season to start. If pre-season form is anything to judge the direction of next season, we should brace ourselves for a roll-coaster campaign, and like I wrote in the preview for the Kigali City Centenary tournament, it’s really hard to predict who would be league champion at the end of the season. APR and Atraco were on paper, everyone’s favorite to play in the final of the four-team tournament but I wrote in that preview that, that there was no guarantee for that to happen and today we have Rayon against Mukura fighting for the Frw10M top prize. That’s why I see no favorite for the league title next season—I stand to be proved wrong and as always, you know where to find me. E-mail: nku78@yahoo.com
