Friday, July 24

APR FC Vs Gor Mahia, 7pm

Venue: Amahoro Stadium

APR FC head coach Taleb Abderrahim has admitted his side is not yet at full strength but insists the Rwandan champions remain determined to challenge for the CECAFA Kagame Cup trophy.

The Rwandan champions open the campaign against Group A side Gor Mahia in a match that will officially open the tournament on Friday at Amahoro Stadium.

Taleb claimed the three-time CECAFA Kagame Cup winners have had only two weeks of pre-season training which he said weren’t enough for his side to prepare for the competition.

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"We&039;ve only had about two weeks of training. It's true that it's not enough to prepare for an international tournament, but we have to play with the resources we have,” he told journalists in a pre-match press conference.

"Physically, we are not at 100%, but we'll rely on our technical and tactical qualities to manage the situation.”

Despite the limited preparation, the Moroccan tactician stressed that APR's ambitions remain unchanged.

"Our objective is to qualify and reach the final. APR is a club that always plays to win. We don't come just to participate." he said.

ALSO READ: APR FC extend Taleb&039;s contract after impressive debut season

APR and Gor Mahia are pooled in Group A alongside Uganda's Vipers SC and Djibouti's FC Garde Républicaine.

A total of 12 teams are competing in this year’s tournament which will run from July 24 to August 7 at Amahoro Stadium and Kigali Pelé Stadium.

The winner of each group, along with the best-performing runner-up, will progress to the semi-finals on August 4. The third-place playoff and the final are both scheduled for August 7 at Amahoro Stadium.