Friday
APR Vs Rayon Kirehe Vs AS Kigali
There will be no love lost as APR and Rayon Sports renew their rivalry this Friday in a Match-day 26 league fixture at Amahoro National Stadium.
Ahead of the much-anticipated battle of titans, both sides are separated by just six points – APR at the summit of the table with 51 points and Rayon in third place with 45 points.
A victory for the table leaders will see them remain at the top drift further from the defending champions, with view to kick them out of the title race.
But should APR drop points and AS Kigali beat Kirehe FC, AS Kigali will unseat the military side atop as they bid for the club’s first league title.
With four games to the end of the season, a win for Rayon Sports will see the Blues within three points of APR and revive hope to win the championship back-to-back which will be a first.
In their first-leg clash this season, APR defeated Rayon 1-0, thanks to Muhadjir Hakizimana.
Rayon Sports are taking on bitter rivals when they are at their worst, facing off-field problems within the club and a run of poor results over the last three months that have seen them registering eleven draws and two defeats in their twenty games across all competitions.
They will also be without fired Coach Ivan Minneart and his former assistants; Jeannot Witakenge and Marcel Lomami – both indefinitely suspended.
The team will be under goalkeeping coach Ramazan Nkunzingoma, who is temporarily in charge.
Also on the list of those suspended by the club is skipper Eric ‘Bakame’ Ndayishimiye and it is yet to be revealed whether he will be cleared to face his former side or if second choice goalkeeper Kassim Ndayisenga will be fielded again after starting against Musanze FC last Friday.
It is alleged that Bakame feigned an injury to miss the league match against Musanze FC last week, which ended in a goalless draw at Ubworoherane Stadium.
As the title race enters the final stretch and with APR bidding for a record-extending seventeenth league title, they must be able to leverage the ongoing woes at Rayon Sports to their own advantage.
editorial@newtimes.co.rw