I will use Simba friendly to assess new players – Rayon coach

Rayon Sports head coach Olivier Karekezi has said he will use Tuesday’s pre-season friendly match against Simba SC to assess the level of his new players.

Tuesday, August 08, 2017
Rayon Sports head coach Olivier Karekezi is in Dar es Salaam with his team for a pre-season friendly against Simba. File

TodayPre-season friendlySimba SC Vs Rayon Sports 3:30pm

Rayon Sports head coach Olivier Karekezi has said he will use Tuesday’s pre-season friendly match against Simba SC to assess the level of his new players.

The Azam Rwanda Premier League champions will take on the Tanzanian side at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam before returning home on Thursday to continue with preparations for the new season, which gets underway on September 29.

Rayon Sports travelled to Dar es Salaam on Monday afternoon aboard a Kenya Airways flight. The delegation was led by Rayon Sports president Denys Gacinya and his deputy, Jean Marie Vianney Rudasingwa.

Karekezi said; "We are approaching a season in which we have the league, Peace Cup and CAF Champions League and we want to be ready in time. Pre-season matches, specifically the game against Simba, will help us to assess the new players and those on trials.”

Among the new players that travelled with the team to Dar es Salaam, include; Faustin Usengimana, Djuma Niyonkuru and Ally Niyonzima, who are on trials as well as new signings Eric Rutanga, Gilbert Mugisha, Alhassane Tamboura and Yussuf Habimana.

Rayon travelled without goalkeeper Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye, Thierry Manzi, Ange Mutsinzi, Kevin Muhire, Saddam Nyandwi and Olivier ‘Seif’ Niyonzima, who are with the national team preparing for the CHAN qualifier against Uganda, as well as Burundian forward Shassir Nahimana, who is yet to return for pre-season training.

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