National football league side AS Kigali have moved fast and first to sign goalkeeper Jean Claude Ndoli and strikers Bernabe Mubumbyi, Michel Ndahinduka—they all signed one-year contracts. The trio is among the nine players released by league champions APR FC early this week, and the City of Kigali-sponsored AS Kigali wasted no time to strengthen their side ahead of the 2016/17 season that starts in September. Rwanda international goalkeeper, Ndoli has been APR’s longest serving player, having joined the army side from Police FC in 2006—he has been capped 48 times for the national team since making his debut in 2005. “It’s important to strengthen our team in preparation for a tough battle next season. We have signed three good and experienced players, and we believe they will help us to achieve our targets,” AS Kigali team manager Joseph Nshiyimiye told Sunday Sport. He added, “We finished in third position last season, which is not bad but we want to do better next season. The trio joins other new signings including; former APR attacking midfielder Kabange Twite, Ugandan striker Karim Ndugwa and midfielder Alex Nkomeje from Sunrise FC. DR Congo-born Kabange left APR in 2012 after five seasons and joined Congolese side, St Eloi Lupopo where he has been the club captain. However, Eric Nshimiyimana’s team, who finished fourth in the league last season with 56 points, have lost three of their key players recently, including star striker Ernest Sugira to AS Vita Club and team captain Jean Pierre Akili Mabula, who joined Australia semi-professional side, Sydney Olympic FC. In 2013, AS Kigali, under the guidance of Andre Casa Mbungo, won the Peace Cup and earned another appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup where they reached the second qualifying round before losing Morocco’s Difaâ El Jadidi. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
