APR FC head coach Taleb Abderrahim has blamed poor officiating for his side’s 1-0 defeat to Les Aigles du Congo in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, accusing the match officials of making questionable decisions and favouring the hosts.
APR FC travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, September 6, 2026, to face Les Aigles du Congo at Frédéric Kibassa Maliba Stadium in Lubumbashi.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Taleb said the encounter was always expected to be difficult, particularly because the two coaches were familiar with each other and had prepared tactical approaches to counter their opponents.
“We came here with the responsibility of getting a good result. We tried to control the midfield and also use long balls because we had watched their friendly matches,” Taleb said.
“However, they are a good team with players who are individually strong.”
The APR FC coach, however, argued that the officiating had played a significant role in the outcome of the match. He accused the officials, led by Beninese referee Idissa Abdul, of making questionable decisions, including denying APR FC two penalty appeals and issuing what he described as unnecessary cards to his players.
“We tried to stop them and create chances whenever we had the ball. What surprised me was not the defeat, but the referee’s performance,” Taleb said.
“Football cannot develop while it still has referees like these. Forgive me for saying that.”
“I have coached many Champions League matches and worked with great players, but I have never seen a team treated as badly as we were today. We were denied two penalties, there were inexplicable foul decisions and unnecessary cards shown to our players.”
Taleb also raised concerns about an incident involving APR FC player Djibril Ouattara, whom he said was subjected to a dangerous challenge by a Les Aigles du Congo player and could require hospital treatment.
According to the coach, the referee did not take action over the incident, while attempts to raise concerns about the decision were met with threats of disciplinary action.
Taleb further questioned the red card shown to APR FC midfielder Ronald Ssekiganda, arguing that the decision was unjustified. He said the referee followed the player before eventually showing him the card after the final whistle.
APR FC will now seek to overturn the 1-0 deficit when they host Les Aigles du Congo in the return leg at Amahoro Stadium on September 11.
The Rwandan champions will need to win the match to keep their CAF Champions League campaign alive, while avoiding conceding an away goal that could further complicate their chances of progressing.
The winner between APR FC and Les Aigles du Congo will face either Egypt’s Zamalek SC or Djibouti’s AS Port in the second preliminary round, scheduled for October 2026.
APR FC travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, September 6, 2026, to face Les Aigles du Congo at Frédéric Kibassa Maliba Stadium in Lubumbashi.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Taleb said the encounter was always expected to be difficult, particularly because the two coaches were familiar with each other and had prepared tactical approaches to counter their opponents.
“We came here with the responsibility of getting a good result. We tried to control the midfield and also use long balls because we had watched their friendly matches,” Taleb said.
“However, they are a good team with players who are individually strong.”
The APR FC coach, however, argued that the officiating had played a significant role in the outcome of the match. He accused the officials, led by Beninese referee Idissa Abdul, of making questionable decisions, including denying APR FC two penalty appeals and issuing what he described as unnecessary cards to his players.
“We tried to stop them and create chances whenever we had the ball. What surprised me was not the defeat, but the referee’s performance,” Taleb said.
“Football cannot develop while it still has referees like these. Forgive me for saying that.”
“I have coached many Champions League matches and worked with great players, but I have never seen a team treated as badly as we were today. We were denied two penalties, there were inexplicable foul decisions and unnecessary cards shown to our players.”
Taleb also raised concerns about an incident involving APR FC player Djibril Ouattara, whom he said was subjected to a dangerous challenge by a Les Aigles du Congo player and could require hospital treatment.
According to the coach, the referee did not take action over the incident, while attempts to raise concerns about the decision were met with threats of disciplinary action.
Taleb further questioned the red card shown to APR FC midfielder Ronald Ssekiganda, arguing that the decision was unjustified. He said the referee followed the player before eventually showing him the card after the final whistle.
APR FC will now seek to overturn the 1-0 deficit when they host Les Aigles du Congo in the return leg at Amahoro Stadium on September 11.
The Rwandan champions will need to win the match to keep their CAF Champions League campaign alive, while avoiding conceding an away goal that could further complicate their chances of progressing.
The winner between APR FC and Les Aigles du Congo will face either Egypt’s Zamalek SC or Djibouti’s AS Port in the second preliminary round, scheduled for October 2026.
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