RAYON Sport kicked off their pre-season training last evening at Kicukiro’s artificial turf.

And as expected, hundreds turned up to watch the team that is trying to recover their past glory.

However, the club’s new signings Aime Ndanda Ndizeye, Abouba Sibomana, Juma Bizimana, Bonfils Twahirwa, Pappy Gasana and Eric Habimana did not take part in the session but interim coach Baptist Kayiranga told the anxious fans that the new players would join the rest soon.

"You will be seeing them very soon,” he said before revealing that Rayon was not done with signing new players.

"We still need to strengthen certain areas like the striking line, left wing and the defensive midfield so we are still looking around.”

Kayiranga is also set to sign a permanent deal as the club’s head coach. The former AS Kigali coach took charge of the team towards the end of last season after the sacking of Raoul Shungu, the club’s most successful coach.

After a long fracas, Rayon ran out of patience with the Congolese coach.

Among other things, Shungu was blamed for Rayon’s loss of loss of money on foreign players, some of whom have deserted the club since, causing unrest in the dressing room, a rift between his assistant Jean Baptista Kayiranga and the players as well as creating bad blood between the club and the local football governing body, Ferwafa.

Kayiranga now has big shoes to fill. During Shungu’s time at the club, he guided the club to four league titles (1997, 1998, 2002 and 2004) and one CECAFA Club Championship (1998).

Rayon fans have put the club administration under immense pressure following the club’s recent poor run.

Rayon’s last silverware came four years ago when the club lifted the 2005 Amahoro Cup.

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