ERNEST Sugira will miss at least eleven APR games in Rwanda Premier League after the club decided to slap him with a two-month suspension and a 30 per cent pay cut for what has been described as ‘repetitive’ indiscipline cases. During the ban period, the 28-year striker has been instructed to train with the club’s academy, with more serious punishments to follow if he fails to do so. According to APR’s letter addressed to the player, which this publication has a copy of, Sugira is faulted for breaching terms of his contract, noncompliance and disrespecting the coaching staff, and head coach Adil Erradi in particular, as well as his teammates. #BREAKING: APR have slapped striker @JrSugira with a two-month suspension from the first team and a 30% pay cut. During the ban period, he has been instructed to train with the club’s academy. pic.twitter.com/RgD9oLCb83 — The New Times (Sports) (@TimesSportRW) October 24, 2019 Sugira was omitted by Moroccan tactician Erradi from the 18-player squad that beat Marines 2-1 on match-day 4 of the 2019-20 topflight league season on Tuesday. In a press conference last Saturday, Sugira confessed that he likes international football more than club football, insinuating that his dismal performance at APR is due to Erradi’s poor coaching. On the other hand, the club alleges that during the league opener between APR and AS Kigali on October 4, which ended in a goalless stalemate at Kigali Stadium, Sugira adamantly refused to listen to his coach’s briefing and was instead ‘more than once’ seen talking to coaches of their opponent team. After four-match rounds this term, APR are top of the table with ten points, leading second-placed Rayon Sports only by superior goal difference (6) compared to the latter’s five. While Sugira has only scored once in the league since rejoining APR two years ago, the former AS Kigali star has always been the national team’s best centre-forward when fit. He scored two goals as Rwanda cruised past Ethiopia with a 2-1 aggregate win to qualify for the African Nations Championships (AFCON) for a third consecutive time. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
