Cliff Owuor (above) has insisted that it is inevitable for him to beef up his squad if APR is to compete on all fronts in 2008. The 2006 national league winning coach made the statement upon the team’s return from Angola where they had gone to take part in the 22nd edition of the Fiba-Africa Club championships. “I will definitely make one or two signings ahead of the 2008 campaign,” he noted. It is believed that the signings will offset APR’s dismal show during the 2007 league campaign in which they failed to make the play-offs. Despite a promising show on their maiden appearance at the Fiba-Africa club championships, APR lost the league title for the first time under Owuor’s reign. Since Owuor’s arrival at APR in 2005, APR had not lost a league title until last year. The former Kenyan international had helped APR win back to back league titles in 2005 and 2006 and the club was on course for a hat-trick of titles during the 2007 campaign. However, to their dismay, the club did not even make it to the play-offs after being weighed down by 2007 surprise package CSK A and eventual champions Marines. This dismal show brought Owuor under scrutiny by club fans who accused him of focusing more on international competitions at the expense of the league.However, it was not long before Owuor’s tactics paid off. Ends
