Kanyankore: 7 teams can win the league

Seven teams are capable of winning this season’s national football league title, SC Kiyovu head coach Gilbert Yaoundé Kanyankore has said.After guiding his team to a 1-0 win over Mukura Victory Sport on Saturday courtesy of Ugandan striker Julius Bakabulindi, Kanyankore believes the Green Baggies are in the right place to go all the way as far as the title race is concerned. Eleven rounds of matches have been played so far.The seven teams in the race, Kanyankore said, include 13-times league champions and current table leaders APR FC (23 points), defending champions Rayon Sports (22pts), AS Kigali (22pts), SC Kiyovu (21pts), Musanze (21pts), Espoir (20pts) and Police FC (18pts).The topflight football division is composed of 14 teams.On Saturday, APR’s 2-1 victory over Amagaju took the military side to the summit of the league for the first time this season. And they have a game in hand – against SC Kiyovu.Kiyovu’s win against Mukura at Stade de Kigali moved them to fourth and within two points of APR, and one adrift of Rayon and Musanze, who occupy second and third places, respectively.Kanyankore, who took over the reins at Kiyovu this season after a spell with Burundian giants Vital’O, said: “The team that will be top by the end of the first round will have a good chance to win the league.”“Going by the results until this stage, signs are that all teams are strong and each one of them is hungry to win, so it will be difficult for one team to stay on top until the end of the season because everyone wants to be there.”If you asked me, I would say that six or seven teams are capable of winning the league, noted the former Rayon Sports coach.He continued: “It’s too early in the season and it would be difficult for the eventual champions because all teams are competitive, new players have started to adapt but if we can manage to be consistent, I don’t see why we can’t win the title.”SC Kiyovu, who last won the league in1993, will visit Etincelles on Thursday.Defending champions Rayon Sports beat AS Kigali 2-1 on Sunday to move into second place on the log but level on 22 points with the City of Kigali side.Meddie Kagere put the ‘Blues’ ahead on the 20th minute after finishing a superb move after good work by midfielders Robert Ndatimana and Djamar Mwiseneza.Ndatimana, who was outstanding throughout the game, dispossessed AS Kigali midfielder Jean Pierre Mabula before combining well with Cedric Amiss and Kagere to set up skipper Fuadi Ndayisenga, who beat AS Kigali goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure with a lovely strike for the second goal on the hour mark.Mabula netted AS Kigali’s consolation on the 23rd minute.