Sunday

Rayon Sports       2-1        Kirehe FC

Pepiniere              0-1        Marines

Saturday

APR FC                   2-0        Espoir FC

Gicumbi FC           0-1        Sunrise FC

Bugesera              1-1        Musanze

Etincelles              1-1        AS Kigali

Amagaju              0-1        Mukura

Friday

SC Kiyovu             1-2        Police FC

Table leaders Rayon Sports will become the Rwandan league champions if they win their match against bottom side Pepiniere FC on May 19 at Ruyenzi ground.

Rayon Sports restored their ten-point lead at the top of the league table after defeating Kirehe FC 2-1 in their match day 24 fixture played on Sunday at Kigali Stadium.

Kirehe FC took the lead in the 55^th minute through striker Ismi Kagabo but the lead lasted just 11 minutes before Dominique Savio Nshuti equalised in the 66^th minute before Moustapha Nsengiyumva netted the winning goal in the 74^th minute.

The win took Masudi’s team, who lead the table with 64 points, to within three points of landing an eighth league title – that is because closest challengers and defending champions APR FC, who defeated Espoir 2-0 on Saturday can only reach 66 points provided they win their remaining four matches.

"We are happy to win this difficult game. Kirehe came into the game determined but we tried to study the game in second half and we got an equalizer and then the winning goal. We need to win the next game to be the league champions,” assistant coach Maurice Nshimiyimana said after the match on Sunday.

He added, "We need to finish business that started and if it is three points remaining, we will go for it in our next game. We must be focused and take one game at a time as we have done throughout the season. It was very hard to come from behind to beat Kirehe but we are happy to get three points.”

For his part, Kirehe FC head coach Hamiss ‘Kishi’ Sogonya admitted that, "Rayon Sports dominated us and they probably deserve to win, we can now turn attention to the next game (against Bugesera FC in Kirehe). Today, we tried our best and took a lead, but they have top players and they fought back.”

Also on Sunday, Marines FC edged Pepiniere 1-0 at Ruyenzi ground to go six points clear of the relegation zone while Pepiniere remain bottom with 12 points.

Abdul Karim Nduhirabandi’s Marines jumped above SC Kiyovu, who dropped to 14^th place in the 16-team league table, just four points above second from bottom Gicumbi FC, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Sunrise FC on Saturday.

Reigning champions APR FC registered a 2-0 win over Espoir FC on Saturday at Kigali Stadium, thanks to goals from Muhadjir Hakizimana and Issa Bigirimana in 22^nd and 34^th minutes respectively.

Elsewhere on Saturday, AS Kigali dropped two points at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu to remain in fourth position with 48 points after being held to a 1-1 draw by 8th-placed Etincelles, who have 32 points.

Kambale Salita netted the opening goal in the 5th minute before Soter Kayumba hit back for Eric Nshimiyimana’s team in the ninth minute.

Relegation-threatened Gicumbi FC lost to Sunrise FC 1-0 at Stade de Gicumbi, thanks to Cyprien Sinamenye’s goal in the 18^th minute. Gicumbi remain second from bottom with 21 points, four behind SC Kiyovu, who lost 1-2 at home to third-placed Police FC on Friday.

The league will continue next weekend after the conclusion of the Peace Cup round of 16 matches, which begin in midweek with the first leg and the second leg to be played at the weekend.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw