APR seek consistency after dropping two crucial points

APR FC head coach Jimmy Mulisa has urged his players to be consistent after his side dropped two valuable points following a 1-1 draw against Bugesera on match day 15 of the national football league on Wednesday at Nyamata ground.

Sunday, January 29, 2017
Issa Bigirimana, who scored in the 1-0 win over Rayon Sports a week earlier, equalized for APR FC in the 1-1 draw against Bugesera. / Timothy Kisambira

SaturdayBugesera 1-1 APR FCAS Kigali 1-0 EspoirSunrise FC 0-3 MusanzeKirehe FC 3-1 Mukura Etincelles 1-0 Amagaju

FridayRayon Sports 3-0 SC Kiyovu

APR FC head coach Jimmy Mulisa has urged his players to be consistent after his side dropped two valuable points following a 1-1 draw against Bugesera on match day 15 of the national football league on Wednesday at Nyamata ground.

Vincent Mashami’s Bugesera FC took the lead in the 26th minute through Abdallah Guindo who converted a good cross from Bertrand Iradukunda.

Issa Bigirimana, who scored in the 1-0 win over Rayon Sports a week earlier, equalised for the defending champions in the 50th minute off Djihad Bizimana’s assist. Bizimana had come as a second half substitute for fellow midfielder, Janvier Benedata.

"We have to be consistent and give our best in every match because we need to win these matches to stay in the title race, and so I am disappointed that we have dropped two points here today,” Mulisa said after the match.

He added, "I am not happy because we wanted three points but overall my players did well and missed many chances in the second half. But we have to forget about today’s result and focus on the second round.”

The former APR assistant coach Mashami, despite getting what most teams would regard as one valuable point against the best team in the league, said he too was disappointed not to win the game. He said, "It is unfortunate that we have not scored more goals to win the game, but I am happy with the result, although the objective was to win and when we took the lead, I thought, we would go to get a second goal but it didn’t come.”

"Winning breeds confidence but we will continue to work hard because we need to continue climbing up the table,” he noted after Bugesera FC jumped to fifth place on 26 points, while APR stayed second with 34 points, two behind the leaders Rayon Sports, who beat SC Kiyovu 3-0 on Friday.

At Kigali Regional Stadium, AS Kigali beat Espoir FC 1-0 to move into third position with 29 points, one above Police FC, who were due to face Marines on Sunday at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu.

Left back Frederick Ndaka scored the lone goal in the 90th minute as Eric Nshimiyimana’s side continued their fine form at the half way mark of the season.

Etincelles beat Amagaju FC 1-0 to move up to 8th place on 20 points—the lone goal was scored by Claude Saiba Mumbele in the 39th minute.

Elsewhere, Musanze thrashed hosts Sunrise FC 3-0 in Nyagatare, with goals coming through Congolese forward Wayi Yeka, who bagged a brace in the 7th and 51st minute while Ugandan import Mike Ssegawa netted the third in the 87th minute. The win saw Musanze jumping to seventh slot with 21 points.

In Kirehe, the home side overcame Mukura 3-1. Tresor Muhoza, Ibrahim Ndikumasabo and Shauri Nyamugenda scored for Hamisi ‘Kishi’ Sogonya’s team, while Hussein Kiza netted for the Huye side that dropped to 12th position on the table with 15 points. Kirehe improved to 11th with 16 points.

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