Warm welcome for Rayon in Nyanza

NYANZA – The scenes were truly those of happiness and jubilation as Rayon Sport Football Club fans gathered in Nyanza town to welcome their team late on Tuesday.Among them, motorcycle riders formed a long queue and moved across the town hooting horns in a show of support to the team. Hundreds of fans from all corners of the country, many of them dressed in anything blue, sang, drummed, drunk and ate in total happiness as the convoy transporting Rayon’s players reached Nyanza town.Local musicians, including R&B songbird King James and Afro-beat vocalist Eric Senderi, entertained the crowd.Senderi, clad in blue and white jersey, stirred up the crowd as he performed his Rayon Sport song.Kassim Murenzi, who once played for Rayon until the mid 1980s when the club moved to Kigali, said he was delighted by the return of the team to its roots.“I have been worried by the struggle this team went through in the recent years. I always asked myself what its future was,” he stated. “But now that it is back home, I hope things are going got change for the better.”He added, “Rayon is the best team in Rwanda, which is capable of winning trophies every the other season. Here [in Nyanza], it has so many fans and I assure you the ambiance will be much hotter than in Kigali. We are excited and ready to support our team.” Popular Rayon fan Rwarutabura, whose voice went hoarse seemingly affected by the jubilation, said, “It is my first time to witness such a big crowd and scenes of celebrations. I am so excited.”“I am coming to live in Nyanza, near my team. Wherever Rayon Sport will go I will go with them,” stated the country’s most popular fan, a resident of Nyamirambo, a suburb of Kigali City.The team’s captain Karim Nizigiyimana, commonly known as McKenzie, said he was amazed with “the team’s overwhelming fans” in Nyanza. “I did not expect to meet so many fans here. This is a good start for Rayon Sport,” said the Burundian international.Rayon return to their roots after winning the inaugural ‘Agaciro Development Fund’ tournament which concluded last weekend at Amahoro stadium in Kigali. In the final match, the Blues beat Huye-based side Mukura 1-0, their first silverware of any kind since the club won the Peace Cup in 2005.Rayon Sport was founded in Nyanza in May 1968 and moved to Kigali in 1986, where it has been using Amahoro Stadium for their home matches.After 26 years in Kigali City, six-time league champions decided to return to their original home following an agreement with Nyanza District authorities.For many years, the team has been under pressure for not winning trophies while at the same time struggling with financial problems, sometimes failing to pay its players and staff for months. Following an agreement with Nyanza District, it is expected that the financial support will help to solve the problems, thus positioning the team to become genuine title challengers.Good timesMany among the fans are those who believe that the return of the Blues to their ancestral home will bring back the good times for their favourite team.The belief is largely shared by the club’s players, technical staff as well as authorities in Nyanza district.Nyanza district mayor, Abdallah Murenzi, reaffirmed the district’s commitment to support the club and make it the best team in the country – once again. He noted that Nyanza district authorities “will keep an eye on the players, provide advice and correct them in case they make mistakes.”“We will make sure the team works together as one united group towards one common objective,” he stated, much to the delight of the thousands of supporters.“Rayon is now part of our responsibility. We will dedicate our efforts to promote the club as we do when it comes to promoting the health insurance, education and other developmental programmes,” Murenzi explained.The mayor further disclosed that the district will hire one permanent employee, who will oversee the team’s activities, working as a liaison officer between the district and the club.Nyanza District has availed about Rwf40 million to Rayon, with the ambition to help the team “win titles and get back on top of Rwandan football.” While in Nyanza, Rayon won the league twice in 1975 and 1981, and the Rwanda Cup in 1976, 1979 and 1982. In Kigali, the club won the Rwanda Cup in 1989, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2005 and the league in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2004. Rayon became the first Rwandan club to win the Cecafa regional club championship in 1998.

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Warm welcome for Rayon in Nyanza