Tanzania: Day of Reckoning for Champions Apr

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Doris Maliyaga

2 July 2011

Morogoro — Group stage matches here come to an end today with the defending champions, APR, facing an arduous task to qualify for the quarterfinals.The Rwandan team, which went down 3-1 to St George on Thursday, need nothing short of a victory against rampant Ulinzi of Kenya at Jamhuri Stadium.For the Kenyan champions, a draw will be enough to see them book a ticket to quarterfinals planned for Dar es Salaam next week.

Buoyed by a 9-0 thrashing of Ports of Djibouti on Thursday, Ulinzi head into this game with a clear sense of superiority. They lead the table with four points, one adrift of the reigning champions.

In an early kickoff, St George of Ethiopia will take on less-fancied Djibouti side with the former expected to bag all three points and cruise to the next stage.Despite relishing a psychological edge over APR, Ulinzi will not find it easy playing the wounded solders.

APR head coach Ernie Brandts has already declared a “war” against the Kenya’s army team, vowing to fight to the very end.”It’s pretty simple, really,” Brandts said yesterday. “We know it’s a tough game, but we’ve what it takes to get the maximum points.”

He said: “We are ready for the challenge for we know that if we perform to our own standards, we will get the right result and move forward.”We still think that we’re the top team in the region,” he said. “In order for us to prove that, we’ve to come out of a difficult situation and win the trophy.”

“This is a real war, we’re not afraid of anyone. We will take the game to the Kenyan team,” confident Brandts said.

APR look forward to their top strikers Haruna Niyonzima, Victor Nyirenda and Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza to upset Ulinzi. The Rwandans prefer a 4-4-2 formation.Ulinzi, who play a physical game, will expect the likes of Geoffrey Kokoyo, Stephen Waruru and Lawrence Owino to be precise in front of the APR goal.The Kenya outfit yesterday received a timely boost after goalie Frances Ochieng recovered from an arm injury.

Ulinzi head coach Benjamini Nyangweso said they would take today’s match as the real final.

“It’s difficult to predict the results, but we have prepared well for the match and we’ll take it as the final,” he said.

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