Coach Brandts issues rallying call to players

Champions League, 1st roundToday, 1st legAPR vs Etoile du SahelDynamos vs TP MazembePlatinum vs Al MerriekhURA vs Djoliba The day has come for the weeks of preparations to either bear of fruits or disappointment as Rwanda’s representative in CAF Orange Champions’ League APR Fc entertain Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel, this afternoon, in the first round first leg at Amahoro stadium.APR’s Ducth head coach Ernie Brandts issued a rallying call to his boys ahead of the game. He reckons the military side, who, he said are “taking this year’s edition seriously”, will go out to attack from the onset.“We saw ESS play against Esperance in a derby which they lost. They are a very tough team, very organised and have good players.“But we are well prepared,” the former Holland international said, adding that ESS is one of the top clubs in Africa, but “we have to make sure tactically we are sharp”. APR have struggled to score goals this season, something that Brandts is well aware of and doesn’t need any reminding about. “We will need to score goals and stop them from scoring.” The national league champions will be without key defender Mbuyu Twite, who is suspended for the tie.With Mbuyu out, Brandts, who was a member of the Holland side that reached the 1978 Fifa World Cup final, will rely on the centre defence partnership of Ismail Nshutiyamagara and Brazilian Alexis de Avilla.This will be the second time that APR is meeting a Tunisian side at this stage. Last year, the military side lost to Club Africain 2-6 on aggregate to exit from the competition.However, the club managed to recruit heavily bringing in new faces in Faty Papy, Alex de Avilla, Dan Wagaluka, Habib Kavuma and Olivier Karekezi.Etoile du Sahel have seven of their players that played for Tunisian national team in the just concluded Nations’ cup finals in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon.Their Germany-born coach Berned Kraus said, “Etoile du Sahel is ready to overcome APR. But it is going to be a difficult game.”Elsewhere, Uganda Revenue Authority host Mali’s Djoliba in Kampala as Ethiopian champions, Coffee FC, will be hosting record time winners, the Egyptian giants Al Ahly.Probable squads:APR: JC Ndoli, J. Bagoole, H. Kavuma, I. Nshutiyamagara, A. Avilla, JB. Mugiraneza, F. Papy, D. Oliviera, S. Ndikumana, O. Lopes and D. WagalukaESS: A. Mathlouthi, H. Jabnoun, W. Bellakhal, H. Bejaoui, A. Belaïd, C. Dhaouad, R. Bedoui, R. Felhi, F. Kom, H. Namouchi and H. Meïté.

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Coach Brandts issues rallying call to players