APR head coach Eric Nshimiyima is confident about his new-look team’s chances of successfully defending the Primus National Football League title.The 13-times league winners are currently in third position with 13 points, five behind leaders SC Kiyovu and four behind second-placed AS Kigali but with a game in hand against archrivals Rayon Sport.Nshimiyimana’s team was frustrated on Saturday by Amagaju, who held them to a 1-1 draw and so missed a big opportunity to close the gap on Kiyovu, who were soundly beaten 3-1 by Rayon Sport.It was Kiyovu’s second loss of the season following the 1-0 reverse at the hands of Police two weeks ago.However, the APR coach says he isn’t too bothered about the gap between his team and the front two, but instead he’s tipping his team to retain their title. The former Amavubi Stars skipper says he does not want to put too much pressure on his young players but at the same time wants them to be very much involved in the title race.“What I can say is that we are competing for league title. I don’t see why we cannot defend it, we are doing pretty. We’re also still unbeaten in the league, so this gives us confidence to keep pushing until the end,” he told Times Sport.The army side has won three and drawn four of their seven league matches this season, a record they will need to improve drastically in the coming matches if they’re to stay in the race.He added, “Some people say we have a young team with little experience at the top level, but it’s up to the players to show what they are capable of.”“I do not want to put them on too much pressure but seeing them on the training ground, their determination gives me reason to believe they’re quite ready for the big challenge,” noted the former AS Kigali and Isonga coach.
