Athletico and APR settle for a draw

Burundian side Athletico settled for a 0-0 draw with neighbours APR of Rwanda at the National Stadium Dar es Salaam yesterday. Both teams are practically booked for the last eight of the Cecafa Kagame Cup from Group “C” unless South Sudan side Wau Salaam miraculously reversed the six goal deficit they were trailing Yanga with going into halftime match in the second game at the same venue late yesterday.

Athletico took the game to APR with a hopeful cross from Emery Nimubona failing to get anyone before APR launched their attack which ended in a friutless corner. Leonel St Preus had a glorious chance to put the Rwanda champions infront in the 12th minute but he fluffed his chance shooting straight at Said Ndukumana. The best chance of the opening exchange fell to Athletico’ Didier Kavumbagu but the man who broke many Tanzanian hearts with his double over Yanga on the opening day of the regional club championship missed after good work from Gael Duhayindavyi and Burundian international Charles Ndayashimie.

It was to prove a poor day in front of goal for Kavumbagu because in the 21st minute an even better chance went begging. Ndoli Jean Claudea had saved well from Piere Kwizera when the ball fell kindly to Kavumbagu but the APR custodian used all his experience to thwart him. It proved to be the last real chance of the encounter in the first half. APR came back strongly in the second half with St.Preus forcing a goaline clearance by Francis Nongwe after he chipped the ball over the advancing Ndukumana. In the 58th minute APR nearly caught their opponents off guard with Ndikumana Selemani shooting wide when it would have been more prudent to find his team-mates Olivier Karekezi and Jean Mugiraneza.