AS Kigali up for the title challenge, vows Nshimiyimana

Sunday APR 1-1 MukuraKiyovu 2-3 Rayon SportsGicumbi 1-0 EspoirSunrise 1-0 EtincellesMarines 3-1 Isonga Saturday AS Kigali 2-0 MusanzeAmagaju 2-1 Police FC At the beginning of the season, AS Kigali coach Eric Nshimiyimana made his title intentions clear but many in the football fraternity thought it was the usual noise coaches make at every start of a new campaign. Six months later, and the City of Kigali team are tied on 41 points with APR who lead the 14-team table standing on just goal difference, +21 as compared to AS Kigali’s +16 although the army side have a game in hand. In an earlier interview, Nshimiyimana indicated that his target this season was to end the three-team league dominance by APR, Rayon Sports and Police FC. True to his word, the former Amavubi midfielder who also featured for APR in his heydays is keen on achieving what he attained as a player –winning the league title, but not yet as coach. With five games to go, Nshimiyimana is confident that AS Kigali will pick the available 15 points on offer but whether APR will succumb to the pressure is a question that only time will answer. The record 14-time league champions APR are winless in four consecutive games in all competitions and with 10 players summoned to the Amavubi provincial side training for the international friendly against Zambia on March 29 in Lusaka before returning to prepare for the return leg against Al Ahly in the Caf Champions League, a lot will be required for them to hold onto the top spot in the run in. Despite the 3-2 win over SC Kiyovu over the weekend, Rayon Sports is out of the league title race and will be looking to clinch the Peace Cup that starts in June for any chance of silverware this season, and the same can be said for Police who lost 1-2 away to Amagaju but remained in third place eight points off the pace. League table Team PD W D L PTS APR FC 20 12 05 03 41AS Kigali 21 12 05 04 41Police FC 21 08 09 04 33Gicumbi 21 08 09 04 33Amagaju 21 08 07 06 30Kiyovu 21 07 08 06 29Rayon 20 07 09 04 27Sunrise 21 06 09 06 27Marines 20 06 07 07 26Espoir 21 07 05 09 26Mukura 21 04 08 09 21Musanze 21 04 06 11 18Etincelles 20 03 08 09 17Isonga 21 01 08 12 13 editorial@newtimes.co.rw