SaturdayAPR FC vs Rayon Sports 3:30pmEspoir vs Sunrise FC Bugesera vs Etincelles

SundayMukura vs Musanze 3:30pmSC Kiyovu vs Marines Gicumbi vs Kirehe FCAmagaju vs Pepiniere

Defending champions APR FC host perennial arch-rivals Rayon Sports on match day 14 of the 2016/17 national football league season on Saturday afternoon at Amahoro National Stadium, at 3:30pm.

Both sides are separated by just three points in first and second position respectively—hosts APR are second with 33 points, after nine wins, three draws and one loss while unbeaten Rayon Sports are top of the table with 33 points.

There is no love lost whenever APR take on Rayon Sports, and today’s clash will not be any different from the past encounters, which have always produced entertainment, goals and at times drama.

Rayon Sports head coach Djuma Masudi wants to continue the unbeaten run. The former APR and Rayon striker noted that, "It is not going to be easy against APR, that are the defending champions and our closest challengers in the race for the title.”

Masudi will have a tough choice to choose which of the three foreign players to start with, among Moussa Camara, who has five goals, Burundian duo of Shassir Nahimana, Pierrot Kwizera, who have netted 11 goals and six goals respectively as well as Congolese midfielder Fabrice Mugheni.

Meanwhile, APR FC will miss the service of attacking midfielder Muhadjir Hakizimana, who is expected to be out of action for up to six months with an ankle injury. Other players nursing long term injuries include; striker Blaise Itangishaka and holding midfielder Andrew Buteera.

However, coach Jimmy Mulisa acknowledged he will miss the injured players but noted that the available players are good enough to fill those gaps as the army side seeks to end their bitter rivals’ unbeaten streak this season.

"The players know the task ahead and the challenge we’re faced with to overcome it, so motivation won’t be a problem, the only problem we have are the injuries to key players but we are ready for the game and our aim is to win,” Mulisa told Saturday Sport.

Mulisa will welcome striker Maxime Sekamana and Onesme Twizerimana, who have fully recovered from their injuries while right back Michel Rusheshangoga, who also missed the game against Marines due to injury, is too available for selection.

It will be 78th official match in all competitions between the two teams and the 45th league meeting since 1995. In the last 44 matches, APR have managed 17 wins against Rayon Sports’ 13 while 14 games have ended in draws. In these games, a total of 125 goals have been scored; APR 65 and 60 for Rayon.

In the past ten years, there have been only two drawn matches between APR and Rayon Sports.

Former Rayon Sports and Amavubi forward Jerome Sina is top scorer in derby with six goals while former Rayon Sports Ugandan striker Davis Kasirye, now playing for DC Motema Pembe of DR Congo, became the first player to score a hat trick in this fixture, last season.

But several players have netted twice, among them; Sina, Bokota Labama, Lionel St Preux, Bokungu Ndjoli and Salita Gentil Kambale.

Of the current lot, Yves Rwigema, Nova Bayama and Eric Bakame Ndayishimiye (Rayon Sports), Albert Ngabo, Bizimana Djihadi, Faustin Usengimana, Emmanuel Imanishimwe and Djamar Mwiseneza (APR FC), have featured for both teams.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Espoir will host Sunrise in Rusizi hoping to win and stay within touching distance of the top four, while Vincent Mashami’s Bugesera FC, in sixth position, entertain ninth-placed Etincelles in Nyamata.

League top scorers:Shassir Nahimana Rayon Sports 11Dany Usengimana Police FC 10Shaban Hussein Amagaju 9Kambale Salita Etincelles 8Farouk Ssentongo Bugesera 6Pierrot Kwizera Rayon Sports 6

editorial@newtimes.co.rw