Sunday

Mukura                vs            Gicumbi

Feb 16

Gicumbi               vs            APR

March 8

AS Kigali               vs            Gicumbi

Newcomers Gicumbi FC failed to achieve their target for the first round of the 2013/14 Turbo King football league, head coach Jean Baptiste Kayiranga says.

Last year’s second division league losing finalists had aimed at finishing in the top eight teams in the 14-club league in the first round, but instead finished in tenth with 12 points just ahead of Marines, AS Muhanga, Amagaju FC and Esperance.

The Gicumbi District-sponsored side remains in the same position with the same points, two ahead of Marines, AS Muhanga and Amagaju in eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth positions, respectively, after 16 rounds of matches so far.  

They have lost ten matches and only managed three wins and three draws.

But Kayiranga insists they are not in a bad position even as they fell short of their target.

"Yes, we failed to hit our initial target halfway through the season, but it’s not all doom and gloom because we are not in the relegation zone.

"Maybe we set an ambitious target, so that can encourage us to work harder, otherwise finishing 10th after the first round is not a very bad position for a new team in the league,” the former Rayon Sports and SC Kiyovu tactician told Times Sport on Thursday.

Defending champions Rayon Sports lead the standings with 37, level with archrivals APR, but with a superior goal difference, while last season’s second division champions Esperance are rock bottom with 7 points.   

Kayiranga, who doubles as national team assistant coach, added: "Now our next target is to improve on our position, we need to climb up the table and move away from the relegation zone.”

Tough fixtures  

An unfriendly fixture has not helped Gicumbi’s cause either as the team has recently played some of the top sides in a row, namely Rayon Sports, Police FC and SC Kiyovu – losing to each of them.

But they will be hoping to take advantage of Mukura’s recent struggles when the two sides meet in Muhanga on Sunday.

Cedric Kaze’s out of sorts Mukura are five points and one place above Gicumbi.

Before last weekend, Gicumbi had lost to third-placed Police FC 2-1 and to the reigning champions Rayon Sports 2-1.

After Mukura, Gicumbi will take on 13-time champions and second-placed APR next Sunday, and then fourth-placed AS Kigali on March 8.