Beaten APR’s Serbian coach Ljubomir Petrovic says
his boys failed to clinch the Kagame Cup title as a result of
inexperience of his boys but praised them for the performance.
The Serbian, who was speaking highly broken English, said winners
El-Merreikh had all reasons to claim the ultimate prize as they
displayed a mature football resulting from their massive experience in
regional and continental soccer stage.
El-Merreikh notched their winner through Kenyan import Allan Wanga
Watende 26 minutes after the kick off and maintained a unique
stranglehold to maintain the lead up to the end of the game.
The Sudanese defended well and marshaled midfield possession while
making sporadic attacks to torment APR defenders with Mohamed Traore
moving menacingly every time he gets a ball.
APR’s attacks were highly checked by El Merreikh defenders and
especially goalkeeper Salim Omar Magoola making daring saves to claim
Man of the Match award.
The APR coach rues missing the title having done a spade work in
the 14-team tournament, especially during their derby against
arch-rivals Rayon Sport and Rwanda Police whom they defeated on penalty
shootouts after a 2-2 and 0-0 stalemates, in quarter and semi-final
respectively.
Newly crowned champions received a trophy and $30,000 cash prize
from the tournament’s patron President Paul Kagame at the Aamahoro
Stadium on Sunday night.
While runners-up APR received $20,000, Rwanda Police cashed $10,000
after defeating Kampala City Council Authority by 4-2 penalties in the
classification match played at the same venue after ending the
regulation 90 minutes tied on 1-1 goals.
Inexperienced as APR are, they lost only one group stage match to
KCCA by a lone goal and escaped an imminent defeat at the hands of Kenya
champions Gor Mahia after securing a lifeline outside additional time
allegedly extended by Tanzanian referee Israel Mujuni.
This is the second time in a row APR are losing the Kagame Cup title after last edition loss to Burundi’s Vital’O in Darfur.
Vital’O were this time dethroned during the group stage phase at
the expense of champs El Merreikh who advanced to the quarterfinals
alongside leaders Rwanda Police.
Winners El-Merreikh also did not win the title without some bruises
when they lost their group stage match by a lone goal to Rwanda
Police.
The Sudanese champs have bagged their third Kagame Cup title after
two other previous wins in 1986 when they beat Yanga in Dar es Salaam
and another controversial home victory in 1994,
El-Merreikh eliminated Mainland Tanzania champions Azam FC at the
quarterfinal stage through shootouts after regulation time ended in
barren draw at the Nyamirambo Stadium here last Wednesday.
A total of 14 teams featured in the 18-days tournament including three from host nation.
Other teams besides the host nation’s trio and Azam included KMKM
(Zanzibar), Vital’O and Atletico (Burundi), Adamma City (Ethiopia),
Atlabara (South Sudan), Telecom (Djibouti), KCCA (Uganda) Gor Mahia
(Kenya), Somalia’s Bennadir FC and eventual champions. El Merreikh from
Sudan
Meanwhile, KCCA;s striker Brian Ummony claimed the tournament’s
golden boot award after scoring a total of five goals and was closely
followed by Azam’s talismanic striker John Bocco who notched three in
four appearances.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN