Masudi unworried over Mugheni’s absence in Confed Cup return leg

Saturday CAF Conf. Cup Playoff round-Second leg Rayon Sports Vs Rivers United 3:30p.m Rayon Sports head coach Djuma Masudi has said his side is calmly preparing for the crucial return leg of Total Confederation Cup against Nigeria’s Rivers United despite the absence of midfield maestro Fabrice Kakule Mugheni. Following a 2-0 defeat on Sunday at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Blues will host the Nigerian Professional Football League side this Saturday at Amahoro stadium in Kigali seeking to overturn the deficit and seal qualification to the competition’s group stage. However, Masudi will be without his regular midfield star Mugheni, who is suspended for the match after receiving a second yellow card during the first match which effectively ruled him out for the return leg. “We can’t think about that, when your player is suspended in these kinds of games, you immediately forget about him and devise other options and that’s what we are going to do. Yes, he has been very phenomenal for us this season but we have other players who can effectively play his role,” said Masudi. The 22-year old Congolese has been a regular starter in the midfield of the Peace Cup holders who have lost one in 22 league games. Mugheni had earlier received a yellow card during the second-round tie against Mali’s Onze Creatures in the previous Confederation Cup round. However, the good news is that the Azam Rwanda Premier League leaders will be welcoming back their current top scorer Shassir Nahimana with 12 goals who missed the first leg through illness, and centre back Ange Mutsinzi who was also suspended for last week’s game away to Nigeria. In a previous interview, Masudi expressed confidence that his side had the capacity to eliminate the Nigerian opponents and proceed to the continental competition’s group stage. Goals on either side of half-time from Emeka Atuloma and Guy Kuemian put Rivers United in pole position going into the tie’s second leg in Kigali. editorial@newtimes.co.rw