Second division side Nyanza FC face quarter final playoff test against Vision FC on Saturday, April 1, hoping to make the best of home advantage with hundreds of supporters waiting to bring a crazy atmosphere at Nyanza stadium as the battle for top Rwanda Premier League promotion takes shape.
Club President Camille Musoni has said that everyone at the club is only focused on the first ever Rwanda Premier League promotion and with Vision, revealing that every game, at this stage, is like a final.
"We’re ready to face Vision at the weekend. At this stage every game counts, so it will be a final for us,” Musoni told Times Sports Tuesday.
Despite Nyanza’s current fight for a ticket to the top flight league, reports suggest the club is not ready to play Rwanda Premier League next season, even if they are promoted, due to financial constraints.
However, Musoni rubbished the reports, insisting that his team is only focused on the playoffs.
"We also heard about it but that’s not true. All I can assure our fans is that our ambition is not only to qualify but also to win the league title and we’re capable of doing that,” he explained.
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Nyanza FC has had a successful campaign so far as they finished third in Second Division League Group B behind former top flights Amagaju FC and Gicumbi FC.
The club is playing the playoffs for the second time in a row and they want to better last season’s performance where they were eliminated by Interforce FC in the quarterfinals.
"The ambitions are different because we have learnt from the mistakes that cost us last season and we believe that we have got a better squad capable of helping us achieve our targets,” Musoni noted.
"I just call on our fans and residents of Nyanza in general to come to the stadium in big numbers and support us. We need their support then the team and its sponsors will do everything possible to make them happy and proud,” he added.
Meanwhile, Vision FC Secretary General Abdallah Bagambiki warned the club's quarter final rivals that his team is ready for the battle and that an upset in Nyanza is at stake.
"We prepared for Saturday's game. Even if we didn’t do well in the last couple of matches, now the team is in good shape and we hope to do better to qualify,” he said.
On the side Ivoire Olympique will host Gicumbi FC on Saturday while, on Sunday, April 2, Etoile de l’Est will host Intare FC at Ngoma stadium as AS Muhanga host Amagaju FC at Muhanga stadium.