Saturday
Musanze Vs Kirehe
SECOND from bottom Kirehe FC will be seeking to upset Musanze when the Azam Rwanda Premier League resumes Saturday.
The game will kick-off 3:30pm, at Ubworoherane Stadium.
Kirehe, with just 17 points from 22 matches, along with bottom side Amagaju, are likely to be relegated to the second division unless one or both of them do something about their current form between now and end of the season.
However, after a two-week’s break, Kirehe head coach Hamis Kishi Sogonya believes his team can still survive the drop, but only, if they turn their fortunes around.
Sogonya’s men will have an uphill task to snatch maximum points from the hosts Musanze, 13th-placed with 23 points, who also seek to boost their safety from relegation scare.
"It will be a tough match but we are optimistic, we are going for a win. I have told the players that we must double our effort if we are to avoid relegation,” Sogonya told Times Sport on Tuesday.
Should Kirehe edge Musanze, they will swap positions with now-14th-placed Gicumbi courtesy of a superior goal difference, with both sides level at 20 points.
As for Musanze, who are six points clear of the relegation zone, victory over Kirehe would push them closer to the middle of the table teams and further increase their hopes of staying in top division.
Musanze will be without their coaches Emmanuel Ruremesha who was suspended by his own club, for four matches, due to poor performance, while his assistant coach Mbweki Tariki Todek will also not be on the touch-line as he was red-carded in their last game.
Goalkeeping coach Charles ‘Macari’ Hakizimana will be in charge of the team against Kirehe.
"I think we have had enough time to prepare and address the mistakes that cost us valuable points, the game [against Kirehe] is a must-win,” said Hakizimana.
"Kirehe are a good team, we will not take them lightly.”
Kirehe sit in the 15th place on the 16-team table, two points ahead of bottom side Amagaju and three adrift of Gicumbi who host fourth-placed SC Kiyovu on Sunday.
TABLE
No Team PG W D L GF GA GD PTS
1 APR 22 17 03 02 35 09 26 54
2 Rayon 22 15 03 04 32 12 20 48
3 Mukura 22 13 06 03 27 15 12 45
4 Kiyovu 22 11 05 06 26 14 12 38
5 Police 22 10 04 08 30 25 05 34
6 Espoir 22 09 04 09 26 28 -2 31
7 AS Kigali 22 07 08 07 28 20 08 29
8 Muhanga 22 07 08 07 32 27 05 29
9 Sunrise 22 07 06 09 22 24 -2 27
10 Marines 22 06 08 08 18 19 -1 26
11 Etincelles 22 07 03 12 21 25 -4 24
12 Bugesera 22 05 09 08 18 29 -11 24
13 Musanze 22 06 05 11 17 27 -10 23
14 Gicumbi 22 05 03 12 13 35 -22 20
15 Kirehe 22 03 08 11 09 26 -17 17
16 Amagaju 22 04 03 15 17 38 -21 15
editor@newtimesrwanda.com