Feller treating Rayon clash like any other

Sun

APR   vs  Rayon Sports

No matter how bad things get at APR (not saying they are), Rene Feller will never lose the power of positive thinking, Times Sport reports.

The national football league perpetual top two title challengers APR and Rayon Sports are set to battle it out at Amahoro stadium this Sunday in what is indisputably the most exciting fixture of every post 1994 season.

Rene Feller’s second-placed APR team is two points ahead of Raoul Shungu’s Rayon Sports, and both teams are in little contrasting veins of form. The champions, Atraco have a two points lead at the top of the league table.

The winner of this game (if there is one) will have much to say on how the title will be decided, and this game could be one of the biggest factors in the teams’ title chase.

The title is, of course, not purely dependent on this particular game as it’s too early to start talking about who’s going to win the league and who’s not because both have Atraco to catch in the race. Both teams will be confident going into the match.

APR are unbeaten this season, having won two and drawn one of their opening three league games. The military side is yet to lose to their archrivals since that famous 4-1 league defeat in 2004 before Shungu walked out on them for greener pastures in Seychelles. Ironically, that’s also the last time Rayon won the league.

Rayon started the season badly, drawing twice in their first two games of the season. However, things picked up for the Blues in their last game when Abdul Uwimana’s stoppage time winner completed a rousing comeback to beat AS-Kigali 2-1.

Feller and his APR team, who had an impressive start, winning their first two games, could only manage a 1-1 draw with Kibuye last weekend, yet the coach remains confident.

"For me, every game is the same but for the people here, it’s a derby,” the Dutchman told Times Sport in reference to Sunday’s game after taking his team through yesterday’s morning training session.

For better preparation ahead of the biggest game of the season, the 65-year-old tactician has switched to daily double training sessions.

"We need to prepare well enough for this game,” he admitted despite saying earlier that he treats every game the same.

But the former Eritrea national team launched a thinly-veiled dig at his opponents saying, "I hope that Rayon come into the game with a positive attitude.”

"I love to see my team play entertaining football, which comes with playing with a positive attitude. I want to see my team play offensive football and I hope they (Rayon) also come with the same (attitude).”

Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a spectacular 2-2 draw with Labama Bokota, who leads APR’s striking line on Sunday, scoring a brace for Rayon.

Feller’s first taste of this fierce Kigali derby was during the league second round clash which was also the second last game of the season that ended in a 1-1 draw with Jimmy Gatete netting a stunning equalizer to silence his former paymasters.

Both camps have no serious injury worries to think about. Shungu expects to have Ugandan striker Alex Mubiru back. He missed the win over AS Kigali with a mild fever.

Feller will have his two most influential players, the Twite twin brothers Mbuyu and Kabange back after missing the last game. 

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