APR players posed for photo with the shirt of Taddeo Lwanga
Fitina Omborenga and Taddeo Lwanga are among players that have been dropped from the APR 24-man squad travelling to Zanzibar for the 2024 Mapinduzi Cup tournament due December 28 through January 13, 2024.
Omborenga was left out after he was stripped of APR captaincy by head coach Thierry Froger due to unprofessional behaviour and was replaced by Claude Niyomugabo, according to multiple reports.
The Rwandan right-back was named the club skipper in August.
Lwanga was also left out after failing to impress Coach Froger during his first six months at the Rwandan outfit. Innocent Nshuti, Yannick Bizimana, and Danny Ndikumana, among others, were also dropped.
Coach Froger has instead opted to travel with Moussa Aboubacar, Abdouramane Alioum, Sanda Soulei, and Moussa Amadou Kada – the four players who are currently on trials.
Newly signed Elia Kategea, who joined from Mukura VS, and Taiba Mbonyumwami, who was recalled by the club from a loan spell at Marines have also been included in the squad.
The Rwanda Premier League holders will start their Mapinduzi Cup campaign taking on Tanzania’s Singida Big Stars on January 1, 2024. They are positioned in Group B along with Jamhuri SC (Zanzibar), Simba DC (Tanzania), and Singida Big Stars (Tanzania).
Mapinduzi Cup is a competition established by Zanzibar Football Federation (ZFF) in 1998 to mark Zanzibar’s Revolution Day, which is annually celebrated on January 12.
It was only Zanzibari and Tanzanian clubs that participated until 2013 when foreign teams began to be invited. Tanzanian side Azam have won most titles in the competition, with a total of five, whilst Simba won it three times.
Zanzibar’s Mlandege crowned the 2023 champions following their 2-1 victory over Singida.
This year’s edition will feature 12 teams, with URA being replaced by Jamus of South Sudan after the Ugandan side withdrew from the tournament to avoid flouting the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) and Uganda Premier League rules, despite their early ratification.
“In a letter from FUFA dated 22nd December after expressing readiness to travel to Zanzibar to represent the country, the approval to go and take part in the tournament was subjected to all URA FC SUPL fixtures continuing uninterrupted,” reads the URA statement in part.
APR squad:
Pierre Ishimwe, Pavelh Ndzila, Alexandre Mutabaruka, Clement Niyigena, Yunusu Nshimiyimana, Victor Mbaoma, Taiba Mbonyumwami, Dieudonne Ndayishimiye, Christian Ishimwe, Claude Niyomugabo, Ramadhan Niyibizi, Salomon Bindjeme, Jean Bosco Ruboneka, Sharaf Shaiboub, Alain Kwitonda, Gilbert Mugisha, Ismail Nshimirimana, Moussa Aboubacar, Abdouramane Alioum, Sanda Soulei, Moussa Amadou Kada, Prince Buregeya, Elia Kategea, Apam Assongwe.
