Rayon set to clinch first league title since 2004

Match Day 24: TodayAS Kigali vs Marines Amagaju vs Police Espoir vs Mukura Musanze vs RayonAS Muhanga vs SC Kiyovu Etincelles vs Isonga La Jeunesse vs APR Rayon Sport are set to wrap up their first league title since 2004 on Wednesday when they host Musanze FC in the penultimate match of the season at Amahoro National Stadium.The Blues, who need just a point to dethrone APR as champions of Rwanda, have not lost any game since the second half of the Primus League kicked off. In general, the in-form Nyanza based side have won 17 matches, drawn three and lost four matches.They have been ruthless in-front of the opposition goal, winning their matches with an average of 3 goals per game. Following a 6-1 win over AS Muhanga on Sunday, Rayon have eight fingers already on the Primus League title.Speaking to Times Sport ahead of what could be a special match for the club, French coach Didier Gomez da Rosa, said, “The only special plan is to win the title on Wednesday. I have seen four matches that Musanze has played and they have very good players, so we need to be careful.”“But tomorrow [today], we will play for the title and in order to achieve this target, we must be extra determined. We have a few days to prepare after the Muhanga game but I am confident we should be ready to finish off the job,” added the Frenchman, who could go on to become a cult hero in the eyes of Rayon faithfuls.Rayon started the sea son so poorly, losing three of their first five league matches. However, their fortunes changed for the better when Nyanza District took over the management of the club and appointed Gomez as head coach in October.Returning homeIn the past years, Rwanda’s most supported football club has been struggling to challenge the big rivals APR, Atraco and now Police mainly because of the financial problems but Murenzi believed that will soon be history, and going by the current state of affairs, he is spot-on.Returning to their ancestral home marked the rebirth of the club. Their 4-0 drabbing of archrivals APR two months ago gave the whole team belief that they could actually go and achieve their dream.Rayon was founded in Nyanza on May 1968 and moved to Kigali in 1986, using Amahoro Stadium for their home matches. They last won the league title in 2004 and the Peace Cup in 2005.While still in Nyanza, they won the league twice in 1975 and 1981, and the Rwanda Cup in 1976, 1979 and 1982 before coming toKigali in 1986.In their new found home in Kigali, Rayon went on to win the Cup in 1989, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2005 and the league in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2004. Rayon also became the first Rwandan club to win the Cecafa club championship in 1998 before it was renamed Cecafa-Kagame Cup in 2002.Relegation battleElsewhere, second-placed Police FC, who stumbled in their quest to win the title following a goalless draw against Espoir, play away to Amagaju in Nyamagabe. Defending champion APR play away to La Jeunesse at Mumena.All eyes will be at Umuganda stadium when the two bottom sides Etincelles and Isonga, both tied on 15 points, face-off in a battle to avoid the drop.A win for either side today as well as the last league match, and hope that Marines, who are in 12th position with 21 points, lose all their two remaining matches, then there is chance for Etincelles or Isonga to survive relegation.However, if Marines snatches a point against AS Kigali, then both Etincelles and Isonga will be relegated regardless of what happens in their last two games.

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Rayon set to clinch first league title since 2004