AFC Leopards Coach Tomas Trucha Shares Why New Signee Arthur Gitego Has Yet to Fully Impress Despite Scoring a Hat-Trick AFC Leopards’ head coach, Tomas Trucha, remains unimpressed with newcomer Arthur Gitego’s performance despite the Rwandan forward’s hat-trick achievement in the FKF Cup on Sunday. Gitego emerged as a key player for the Leopards, netting three goals to lead his team past PAC University and secure a spot in the Round of 16 in the tournament. Demonstrating effective striker instincts, he constantly threatened the opposition’s defense and capitalized on PAC University’s mistakes to clinch a significant victory for his team. Despite these achievements, Trucha believes Gitego has room for improvement, emphasizing the need for the striker to contribute more comprehensively to the team’s play beyond scoring goals. “Still far from what I expect, it’s positive that he managed to score three times, which is what we require of him. However, he needs to integrate more into our gameplay, assisting in defense and possession,” Trucha expressed to Box to Box. “While he had some impressive moments and scored, which is commendable, we’re still working on enhancing his connection and combinations with the rest of the team to meet my expectations,” he added. Gitego signed a two-year deal with the Leopards from Rwandan club Marine FC earlier this month, filling the long-sought striker position for the club. The game against PAC University marked his fourth appearance in all competitions for the Leopards, showing promise even as he strives to prove his worth to his coach. Having made his senior debut for Rwanda in November 2023, Gitego was part of the Amavubi squad that played to a goalless draw against Zimbabwe in Huye during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The 22-year-old striker, who has previously played for Heroes FC, Kiyovu Sports, and Gicumbi FC, scored 16 goals for Marine FC over the last season and a half.
