Crunch time as Rayon Sports face APR in crucial league tie

The biggest football rivalry in the country will take place on Sunday afternoon with young coaches Vincent Mashami of APR and Rayon Sports’ Sosthene Habimana looking to outdo each other in the National Football League. 35-year-old Mashami was appointed APR interim coach after the resignation of Serbian Ljubomir Petrović while 39-year-old Habimana also took over the head coaching role at Rayon Sports when Andy Mfutila was sacked early this month. Rayon Sports Coach Sosthene Habimana Both coaches are young, ambitious and building their careers against all odds in a generation where local coaches are not trusted to be in charge of the biggest clubs in Rwanda. In less than a year, Mashami and Habimana have had to take over the reins twice following the departure of foreign head coaches and the pair has proven that they have the capability to withstand the pressure that comes with coaching at this level. This will be put to test once again in Sunday’s clash, in a game that will provide a platform to impress their employers. Mashami inspired APR to league victory last season and comes into this encounter with confidence but Habimana’s recent exploits on the continent leading the Blues past Cameroon’s Panthéré Sportive du Ndé in the Caf Confederation Cup means that he is in high spirits of winning. Habimana played as a central defender for Rayon Sports from 1999-2004 and was captain from 2000-2004, a period when APR clinched the league title four times, while Mashami played for defunct KIST FC as a defender for one year. Habimana and Mashami have coaching licences from the German Football Federation (DFB) including the UEFA A, B and C licences as well as the CAF C licence. APR are currently top of the league table with 35 points while Rayon Sports are 10 points adrift in third place. editorial@newtimes.co.rw