Sugira set to seal Rwf102m deal with DR Congo's AS Vita

Rwanda national football team and AS Kigali striker Ernest Sugira travelled to DR Congo, yesterday, to seal a $130,000 (about Rwf102.7m) move to AS Vita club. The Congolese giants have agreed to part with $130,000 for the signature of Sugira who has disclosed that he will be leaving AS Kigali at the end of the season in July. If the deal is concluded, it will make the AS Kigali striker, one of the most expensive players in the Rwandan football. “We are going for final negotiations with AS Vita leaders, and on Friday, we will be finalising the talks. “Frolent Ibenge came to Rwanda to talk to me, and said his side is interested in me… so I am going to finalise everything with them,” Sugira said before departure yesterday. Sugira traveled with AS Kigali team manager Joseph Nshimiye. In the ongoing 2015/2016 national league season, Sugira has netted eight times for AS Kigali. “We are heading to DR Congo to finalise the contract of Sugira with Vita Club, and hopefully everything will be fine. We believe Sugira will be a good asset to them,” Nshimiye said. Vita club is currently leading the league table in the DR Congo with 16 points after six rounds of games and has reached the group stages of the 2016 CAF Champions League. Sugira travels to DR Congo. (Thierry Kayishema) AS Vita coach Florent Ibenge, who also doubles as the coach of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) winners DR Congo, has been an admirer of the former AS Muhanga and APR striker. Ibenge was in Kigali last week to seal the deal and he hopes Sugira will boost his side going into the group stages of the CAF Champions League and their chase for the league title. “Sugira is the kind of player you can wish to have in your team. We are looking forward to have him in our team. We want to sign him,” Ibenge said. Sugira has three months left on his contract with AS Kigali. His superb performance during the 2016 CHAN tournament held in Rwanda earlier this year attracted interest from several African clubs including Vita Club, Bidvest Wits of South Africa, Kenya’s AFC Leopards, and Gor Mahia. He scored three goals in the tournament, two against Gabon and the other against DR Congo in the quarterfinal stage of the competition. Sugira’s deal follows another by former Police forward Jacques Tuyisenge who was signed by Kenya’s Gor Mahia in February for Ksh4 million. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Sugira set to seal Rwf102m deal with DR Congo's AS Vita