Rwanda: APR Coach Optimistic Ahead of Pyramids Clash

28 September 2025
The New Times (Kigali)
By Peter Kamasa

APR FC head coach Abderrahim Taleb has said that his men are up for the task ahead of them when they host Egyptian powerhouse Pyramids at Kigali Pelé Stadium in the CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg tie on October 1.

Pyramids have been in fine form in domestic and international football and, after putting four past El Geish in the Egyptian Premier League in Saturday, September 27, they travel to Kigali on Monday to begin their Champions League title defense against Abderrahim's APR FC.

Rwandan champions are not up to anything but a revenge against a team that eliminated them from the competition in the previous editions.

They will play both legs without star striker Djibril Ouattarra who is sidelined through illness, but Abedrrahim believes the rest of the group has got so much confidence to get the job done ahead of Wednesday's clash.

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"It is a team I know because there are Moroccan players among them, whom I have trained before. We know that they are a strong team based on their current form in the domestic league, and the fact that they recently won the FIFA Africa-Asian-Pacific Cup," Abderrahim said.

"On our side, all the players are ready to play this important game, and even though Ouattara [Djibril] is not there, there are others who are ready to perform on Wednesday. If we follow what we have been practicing in training, we will win."

With Ouattara ruled out of the crunch clash, Claude Niyomugabo, Gilbert Byiringiro, Gilbert Mugisha and Hakim Kiwanuka were also seen training wearing 'masks' at Kigali Pelé Stadium.

Meanwhile, Bosco Ruboneka and Fitina Omborenga have returned to training after they missed APR's 2-1 win over Gicumbi FC in their rescheduled league opener.

The first will take place on October 1 in Kigali while the return leg will be held in Cairo, Egypt, on October 8.

Pyramids return to the CAF Champions League to defend the title they won last season after beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the two-legged final.

Their previous two tie ended in an embarrassing loss for Rwandan champions, losing 5-1 on aggregate. The pair had played a 1-all draw in Kigali before Pyramids thrashed APR FC 4-1 in Cairo.

Read the original article on New Times.

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