Reigning Rwandan champions APR FC will face off with Tanzania's Azam FC on Sunday, August 18 in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
Scheduled to take place at Azam Sports Complex, the match is the first of a two-legged encounter between the two regional giants. The team that triumphs will proceed to face either JKU SC of Zanzibar or Pyramids FC of Egypt, on the path to the lucrative group stages of the champions league.
ALSO READ: Super Cup: Key takeaways from Police FC's victory over APR
In this article, Times Sport looks at some of the key points that will stand out as APR seeks the elusive opportunity of reaching the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
1. Will Novic avoid the pressure?
Pressure is part of coaching. Renowned coaches and managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and others have come under it a number of times.
Though it is only early days for Darko Novic at the helm of APR FC, the possibility of losing the Azam FC encounter may raise some questions about his credentials and thus put pressure on him.
The Serbian tactician has already lost a couple of important games during the pre-season, including one Vs Red Arrows in the final of the CECAFA Kagame Cup in Tanzania, before losing to Police FC in the Super Cup.
APR is one of the most supported clubs in Rwanda and the fans play a huge role in the activities of the club. Former coach Thierry Froger had a torrid time with the fans when things weren't going well.
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Considering the transfers the club has made in the ongoing window where players like Richmond Lamptey, Yussif Dauda, Mamadou Sy, Lamine Bah, and others joined, fans may expect nothing but positive results.
The Azam game will not be easy, but Novic should fight to get a good result to calm the nerves.
2. New signings must show their worth
Many of the new players signed by APR are yet to come to the party due to a number of factors which include limited game time.
Ghanaian midfielder Richmond Lamptey and Mauritanian striker Mamadou Sy have been sparingly used, while Malian forward Lamine Bah has not featured yet.
These are players on whom APR spent huge sums of money and thus, they need to be given the opportunity to play their part in the team's fight for a slot in the champions league group stages.
3. Work on the spot kick issues
Lastly, the team must work to improve their capabilities when it comes to penalty shootouts. The two-legged tie Vs Azam may well end up in a stalemate that may be sorted out through spot-kicks, and it would be disappointing for APR to endure the fate it suffered in the CECAFA Kagame Cup and the Rwandan Super Cup, as it lost both finals on penalties.
Yes, penalty kicks are a lottery in football but are also an art you can master well and become an expert. After losing two cup finals against Red Arrows and Police FC, APR players must devote more attention to practicing spot-kicks before their past results come back to haunt them.
