AS Muhanga head coach Abdu Mbarushimana has expressed his confidence that his team has what it takes to win the remaining games and qualify for the Second Division League play-offs as the club pushes for a comeback to the top flight league next season. Muhanga-base side, which was relegated into the second division in 2021, had a tough start to the season this year due to what Mbarushimana described as lack of experience among his squad but he insisted that things have started to tick and as the group games draw close to conclusion. The beginning of the season was not that good because we had a lot of young players with no experience but, with time and new signings, I can see a developing chemistry in the squad,” the tactician told Times Sport. “Our first ambition is to qualify for the playoffs and then compete for topflight league promotion as it is everyone’s dream. That’s where Muhanga belongs,” the former Musanze boss added. AS Muhanga sit fourth in Group B with 23 points, 11 points behind leaders Etoile de l’Est and two points clear ahead of fifth placed Ivoire Olympique with four matches to play. “We need to win all four remaining matches and we stand a chance given that we will be playing three of them at home,” he noted. “I hope that fans, club management and the Muhanga District will keep supporting us and we are optimistic that we will maintain our playoff spot hopefully to the final.” AS Muhanga withdrew themselves from the 2023 Peace Cup to put much of their focus on the remaining league matches. The club nearly qualified for the top flight league last season but were controversially eliminated by Rwamagana City despite the latter allegedly fielding an ineligible player. Muhanga’s next four matches: La Jeneusse, March 3 (home), Interforce, March 11 (home), ASPOR, March 18 (away) and Ivory Olympique, March 23 (home).
