Rayon drop more points as APR close gap
Saturday’s results
Kibuye  1-0  Atraco
Jeunesse  1-2  APR
Amagaju  1-1  Rayon
Electrogaz 1-2  AS Kigali

Kibuye registered the shock result of the season thus far with a 1-0 win over visiting Atraco Fc in a league match played on Saturday at Gatwaro stadium.

Pappy Nkunda beat Tom Ssemwogerere to the ball to score the winner on the 54th minute hence handing the champions their first defeat of the season.

Sam Timbe’s team went into the game with a 100 percent record after four rounds of matches but they could not overcome a stubborn Kibuye side that has proved hard to beat in their backyard.

After tasting his first defeat since taking over as Atraco coach at the start of the season, Timbe told Times Sport yesterday that his team had the upper-hand throughout the match but couldn’t break down a resilient Kibuye defence.

He said, "We contributed to our own downfall. We failure to mark well their strikers and paid the price. It was a defensive blunder that led to their goal.”

"We lacked concentration at critical moments like our strikers failing to utilize the goal scoring opportunities we created and in defence,” Timbe admitted.

However, the ex-SC Villa and Uganda Police Fc coach noted that the defeat to Kibuye was not the end of his team’s campaign.

"We’re still focused on the challenge ahead despite this defeat. It’s hard to take but we just have to pick ourselves up for the reminder of the season,” he noted.

The win moved Kibuye from the relegation zone to ninth position with five points while Atraco’s lead at the top was cut to just one points by their closest title rivals APR who beat La Jeunesse 2-1 at Mironko ground.

The nine-time league champions scored their goals through midfielder Jean Batista Mugiraneza (31) and Moses Odhiambo (44). Robert Nguga had given the La Jeunesse 15th lead.

Rene Feller’s team struggled to contain their youthful opponents throughout the game and the game would have ended in a disappointing draw for the military side had Nguga’s last minute goal-bound lob over a static Jean Claude Ndoli not cleared off the line by substitute defender Elias Ntaganda.

In Nyamagabe, Rayon Sports dropped more points when they surrendered a slender 1-0 half-time lead to draw 1-1 with newly promoted Amagaju.

Tanzanian striker Joseph Kanini opened his account for the blues just before recess but the Southern Province side salvaged a point with a last-minute goal scored by Adolph Ahikuze.

Raoul Shungu’s team remain unbeaten but a record of four draws and just one win, leaves them fifth on the table standing, five points off the pace.

At Camp Kigali, Electrogaz were beat 2-1 by visiting AS Kigali. A brace by Pappy Gasana gave Eric Nshimiyimana’s side their second win of the season and move them to sixth position on six points.

Veteran striker Hamisi Bagumaho scored the consolation for the hosts.

Meanwhile, in the Northern Province, heavy downpour forced Marine’s home fixture against Mukura to be abandoned and it was rescheduled for yesterday (Sunday).

Also yesterday, bottom side Kiyovu was scheduled to face Police at Camp Kigali ground.

League table
TEAM P  W  D  L  Pts
Atraco 5   4   0   1  12 
APR 5   3   2   0  11
Marines 4   3   1   0  10
Electrogaz  5   2  1   2   7
Rayon        5   1   4   0   7
AS Kigali  5   2   0  3   6
Kibuye     5   1    2  2   5 
Mukura     4   1   2   1  5
Police        4   1   2   1   5
Amagaju   5   1   1   3   4
Jeunesse   5   0    2   3   2
Kiyovu     4   0   1   4  1

NB: Clubs in bold were yet to play their fixtures yesterday by press time.