Thursday

Espoir    Vs    AS Kigali                15:00 Rayon   Vs    AS Muhanga        18:00

Champions Rayon Sports will be without their captain Eric Rutanga when they face AS Muhanga in Rwanda Premier League on Thursday.

The game gets underway at 6pm, at Kigali Stadium.

Full-back Rutanga, 27, will not be on his side’s 18-man squad for the match as he is suspended for match-day 10 after picking three yellow cards. Also to sit out on Thursday is centre-back Saidi Iragire, who also have three cumulative bookings.

However, the club is not worried about the two players’ absence, especially since "AS Muhanga are not a major threat to Rayon” and, "we have good options to cover the void left by the suspended players,” Rayon Sports assistant coach, Alain Kirasa, said in an interview with Times Sport on Wednesday.

Following the victory of leaders and their bitter rivals APR on Tuesday, a 4-2 thumping win over Sunrise, the Blues will be looking to cut the gap back to three points.

Ahead of the AS Muhanga encounter, Rayon (18pts) trail APR by six points.

"The season is only at the beginning, there are a lot of games to play, so we are not under any pressure because of the gap to the top,” said Kirasa. "The atmosphere in the camp is perfect, and players are fit for the mission. The (AS Muhanga) game is a must-win,” Kirasa further added.

After nine matches, Rayon have won five, lost once and registered three draws.

On the other hand, eighth-placed AS Muhanga also want to move up the table and victory would lift them up to sixth position with 15 points.

In another match on Thursday, strugglers AS Kigali travel to Kamarampaka Stadium, in Rusizi District, where they take on Espoir looking for their second win this season.

The City of Kigali-sponsored side lie in 14th place on the 16-team table with eight points, a solitary point above the relegation zone.

Espoir are 11th with 10 points.