Today

Rayon Vs Police

June 5 Rayon Vs Amagaju

June 8 Musanze Vs Rayon

June 16 Rayon Vs APR

June 20 Rayon Vs Gicumbi

June 22 Espoir Vs Rayon

June 28 Rayon Vs Sunrise

July 1 Marines Vs Rayon

RAYON Sports are on a bumpy road in the Azam Rwanda Premier League title chase. They may be optimistic to retain the championship but it won’t come without a fight – a very good fight at that.

Many questions have been raised over the performance of the club that was expected to put up strong title bid this season, especially after winning the 2016/2017 league with four games to spare.

Should Ivan Minneart’s side retain the league title, it will be a historic first time they will have won the topflight league crown in two consecutive seasons in the club’s 50-year history.

With eight games left to the end of the 2017/18 campaign, Rayon are in third place with 43 points and two  games in hand, seven points adrift of leaders APR and five points behind second-placed AS Kigali. SC Kiyovu complete the top four with 41 points.

On Wednesday, Rayon Sports boosted their hopes of retaining the title after beating AS Kigali 1-0, thanks to a lone goal from forward Gilbert Mugisha early in the second-half.

On the other side, AS Kigali’s defeat dented their chances of winning their first ever league title.

While 16-time record champions APR have played 24 games, archrivals Rayon have played two games less and will be hoping for two crucial victories when they take on Police FC this afternoon at Kigali Stadium before playing Amagaju on June 5 at Amahoro stadium.

With the six points, the reigning champions would jump to second place with 49 points, one point behind the military side.

Good news is, APR and Rayon will be locking horns on June 16 in a battle of supremacy, a clash that is expected to determine a lot about who will win the league title this season.

However, Ljubomir Petrovic’s APR side will have to first prove a point against Albert Joel Mphande’s Police FC on June 10, a side that has not lost a league game since late April.

The league may look to be headed into a two-race, but not yet. At the moment, Eric Nshimiyimana’s AS Kigali is still another genuine contender.

Of the eight matches left, the Blues will be hosting all but two, against Espoir on June 22 and Marines on July 1 in their last league game of the season.

While talking to Saturday Sport on Friday, Rayon Sports coach said, "The title race for us is at the make-or-break point, any slight mistake will halt our chances to retain the title and we will do all we can to avoid that till end of the season. Our task is to perfectly do our job and hope our rivals stumble along the way. Surely APR and AS Kigali won’t make life any easier for us.”

"We have made mistakes, in the past, of focusing on big opponents and underrating smaller clubs, then end up unnecessarily dropping points. The approach has changed now, we take every game very seriously and prepare for each with the same determination,” he further noted.

After the APR clash, Rayon will host Gicumbi at Amahoro on June 20, play away to Espoir FC in Rusizi two days later, before hosting Sunrise FC on June 28 at Kigali Stadium.

The 8-time champions will wrap up the season with a ‘tricky’ encounter against Marines FC on July 1 at Umuganda Stadium, in Rubavu District.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw