SundayRayon Sports vs Esperance - 3pm

Primus national league champions, Rayon Sports take on new league entrants, Esperance la City FC in a pre-season friendly match on Sunday at Stade de Nyanza.

It the first preseason game for Didier Gomez da Roza’s team as they prepare for the 2013/14 local football season, which gets underway on September 21.

According to the club chairman, Abdallah Murenzi, who also doubles as the Mayor of Nyanza District, Sunday’s match if the first of many that the club is lining up before starting the defence of their league title.

He said recently the Nyanza-based side are negotiating with other clubs in the region including in DRC, Tanzania to fix more pre-season friendly games.

"Our goal is to start where we finished last season and we need more games before the league starts, which will help our players to be at the top level,” he said on Friday.

Murenzi noted that the team needs sufficient preparations as they bid not only to defend the league title but also to do well in other competitions including CAF Champions League, Cecafa-Kagame Cup as well as the Peace Cup next year.

The Blues have been busy in the transfer window, bringing in seven new players, including; Djihad Bizimana (from Etincelles), Arafat Serugendo (Mukura), midfielders Jean-Paul Havugarurema, Claude Rwaka and left back Moses Kanamugire Shukuru (La Jeunesse), Robert Ndatimana (Isonga) and goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ndayishimiye Bakame from rivals, APR.