The Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Football Club (APR FC) has announced that it will tentatively resume playing foreigners beginning next season.
The decision was revealed last week, following a decade-long commitment by the military-funded squad to use only domestic players since 2012.
At the time, the action appeared legitimate and geared at boosting local talent, particularly given that most foreign players were not honoring their pledges, contracts, or delivering improved outcomes.
APR FC has had domestic success with its play local player philosophy, winning seven league titles and two peace cups.
However, the team has struggled to create a mark at the continental level, failing to qualify for either the CAF Champions League or the Confederation Cup group rounds.
APR FC, for example, won the CECAFA Clubs Cup in 2004, 2007, and 2010 after finishing as a losing finalist in 1996 and 2000.
For the first time in club history, the team advanced to the second round of the CAF Champions League this year.
Lt Gen. Mubarakh Muganga, chairman of the APR club, stated that they may consider hiring a few foreign players to bring competitiveness to the club’s desire for greater performance on the continental level.
Muganga stated on Friday, December 23, that the club is prepared to bring in new international players if APR qualify for Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions beginning with the 2023/24 season.
“If we get the chance to qualify for continental competitions, we’ll bring in two or three foreign players if the coach wants them,” Muganga told sports reporters.
Muganga accepted the club’s failure to achieve continental heights, but suggested that the club may begin to rely on foreigners with great game and talents to make a difference and add experience to the team during future CAF club competitions.
