Wednesday

Rayon Sports 3-1 Sunrise FC

After a 5-year wait, Rayon Sports are on course to winning their 8th league title following a 3-1 win against Sunrise FC on Wednesday at Stade de Kigali.

"This is our best win because we wanted to further widen the gap between us and the second placed team. I am happy with the way my team played today. I think we had a good performance and we can look forward with high optimism,” said head coach Djuma Masudi.

With 10 rounds of league matches left to play, Rayon Sports have so far lost just once (against APR) since the start of the season. Maintaining a winning streak has brightened their chances of winning the title in a season where they could also retain the Peace Cup as well as play in the lucrative CAF Champions League group stages.

Malian striker Moussa Camara gave Djuma Masudi’s team the lead in the 10th minute after converting Pierrot Kwizera’s corner. Kwizera put his name on the score sheet with one of his trademark free kicks in the 37th minute. It was Kwizera’s 9th goal of the season.

At the stroke of half-time, Camara netted the third goal for the Blues, when he connected with a set-piece from Shassir Nahimana before chipping the ball past Sunrise goalie Habarurema Gahungu, to take his tally for the season to eight goals in 21 matches.

Andre Casa Mbungo’s side snatched a consolation goal in the 76th minute through a penalty, which was converted by Alex Orotomal after the Nigerian forward had been fouled in the forbidden area by centre back Fiston Munezero.

The win took Rayon Sports 11 points clear at the top of the table ahead of second-placed and defending champions APR FC, a feat which put them in pole position to lift the league title this year. Police and AS Kigali are third and fourth with 40 points each.

Gicumbi FC and Pepiniere lie in the relegation zone with 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Masudi added: "We needed three points and my players understood well the plan and tactics, so hopefully we will take the same spirit into the next games. We have not won the title but we are doing well and slowly getting closer.”

His counterpart, Andre Casa Mbungo admitted: "We did not play our normal game, they dominated us and we gave away two easy goals, which killed our game plan. We did not manage to recover after going down 3-0 at half-time. In the second half, we tried to change things, but it was too late, we are going back to prepare for the next game.”

The former AS Kigali and Police FC tactician conceded that Rayon Sports are the better team in the league currently and it’s hard to see how they cannot go on to win league title.

Rayon Sports’ next league match is against 11th-placed Amagaju FC next Wednesday at Stade de Kigali.

League tableTeam PD W D L PtsRayon Sports 21 16 4 1 52APR FC 21 11 8 2 41Police FC 21 11 7 3 40AS Kigali 21 12 4 5 40Musanze 21 9 6 6 33Bugesera 21 8 8 5 32Espoir 21 6 9 6 27Etincelles 21 7 5 9 26Kirehe FC 21 6 7 8 25Sunrise 21 6 7 8 25Amagaju 21 7 4 10 25Mukura 21 5 8 8 23Kiyovu 21 5 6 10 21Marines 21 5 4 12 19Gicumbi 21 3 6 12 15Pepiniere 21 2 5 14 11