Tanzania: APR’s Player On Yanga’s Radar

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Majuto Omary

21 May 2011

Dar es Salaam — APR’s Congolese midfielder Haruna Niyonzima is the next target for Mainland champions Young Africans as coach Sam Timbe bids to strengthen his squad for next season.Timbe has been assured by the Jangwani Street club leadership that there is money for him to spend on drafting in at least two more foreign players.

The club’s registration committee chairman, Salum Rupia, confirmed yesterday that Niyonzima would arrive in the country early next week to sign a contract with the Dar es Salaam club.

Last month, Timbe met with Yanga officials to discuss potential targets – and Niyonzima has been the subject of rave reports from his (Timbe’s) Congolese scout.

The Congolese play-maker is already established as a first team player at Rwandan giants APR and DR Congo’s national team.

“Niyonzima fits perfectly into the Timbe strategy. We need a player of his caliber to reinforce our team ahead of next season Premier League and Africa Champions League,” Rupia said.

“We’ve two foreign imports in our squad so far- Zambian striker Davies Mwape and Ghanaian goalkeeper Yaw Berko. We expect to sign three more foreign players before the next season starts,” he added.

He also denied reports that they have given up then race for striker Kenneth Asamoah of Ghana, insisting that the player would join the team soon.

A rousing welcome greeted Asamoah’s arrival at the Jullius Nyerere International Airport early this month when he came to Dar es Salaam for talks with talks with Yanga on his personal terms.

But the player left for Ghana only a few days later after Yanga reportedly failed to meet his demands.

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