It’s too early to say we’re out of title race, says APR’s Brandts

Primus league defending champion APR has an upper edge of retaining the title despite a not-so-good start to the 2012/11 season, head coach Ernie Brandts said yesterday. The 1978 World cup player with the Netherlands, Brandts said, “Our previous game against Amagaju didn’t go as we had planned. We lost some key players ahead of the start of the game.” The 12-times league champions, and still most people’s favourites to win this year’s title, could only manage a 1-1 draw against Amagaju in Nyamagabe. The home side denied the champions what is normally a routine three points. Nyumba Kaita scored for the hosts before Burundian international Selemani Ndikumana snatched the equaliser for the military side. “Amagaju scored from their only shot on target. We dominated the game and had over 20 shots on target but because of poor ground, we could only settle for a point. “(But) we still have 16 matches to the end of the season and I still believe, APR can retain the title,” the Dutch man stressed. The point took the ex-Netherlands international’s side to joint third position, level on 15 points with rivals Rayon Sports and Etincelles. The other teams in the race for the title, Rayon and Kiyovu also played out a 1-all draw on Wednesday at Amahoro national stadium. Mukura leads the league table with 20 points in nine matches while Police is second, two points off the pace but have played a game less. Brandts was without key players like goalkeeper Jean Claude Ndoli, defender Mbuyu Twite and midfielder Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza, and he’d need them recover in time for the new year engagements. Apart from league engagements, APR has a tough year ahead. They face Kenya’s Tusker Fc in the preliminary round of the Orange Champions league as well as Cecafa/Kagame club championship on top of the Peace Cup. bonnie.mugabe@newtimes.co.rw