Masudi hails Rayon players after Espoir draw

Rayon Sports interim coach Djuma Masudi has praised his players after coming from behind to draw against Espoir FC with a last minute equalizer in the National Football League on Saturdayat Kigali Regional Stadium.

Sunday, March 06, 2016
Pierro is saluted by Kasirye after converting a late penalty against Espoir in the league match on Saturday at Kigali regional stadium. (Sam Niyonziza)

Saturday

Rayon Sports 1-1 Espoir FCAS Muhanga 0-2 SC Kiyovu

Rayon Sports interim coach Djuma Masudi has praised his players after coming from behind to draw against Espoir FC with a last minute equalizer in the National Football League on Saturdayat Kigali Regional Stadium.

Burundi international Pierrot Kwizera scored a last minute equaliser to help the 2013 champions snatch a precious point after Alphonse Gatera’s Espoir had taken the lead in the 58th minute through forward Trésor Kitoga Ishara.

Masudi’s team, looking to win and stay within range of the leading trio of Mukura, AS Kigali and APR FC, had to wait until the 89th minute when David Kasirye was fouled in the forbidden area, and Kwizera made no mistake from the penalty spot.

The draw leaves Rayon Sports stuck in fourth place with 26 points while Espoir also remained in 11th with 15 points.

"I think we dominated the game but we missed a lot of chances to score, so to get a point when it looked it wasn’t going to be our day, we must be happy with that, credit goes to the players who fought to the last minute,” Masudi said after the match.

His counterpart Gatera was not happy that his team "threw away” two important points. "We played well… that is why we scored the goal and we managed to defend well but we conceded the goal in the last minutes, it’s very disappointing,” he admitted.

Elsewhere, AS Muhanga lost their eleventh game of the season following a 2-0 defeat to SC Kiyovu, who registered a second successive win courtesy of a brace from in-form striker Andre Lomami, who took his tally of the season to 10 goals, and top of the league top scorers’ chart.

Yves Rwasamanzi’s side moved to sixth spot with 23 points while AS Muhanga remains bottom of the standings with four points in 15 matches.

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