Muhanga Stadium will be abuzz on Sunday, February 5, when two title hopefuls Rayon Sports and Kiyovu Sports lock horns in an epic Rwanda Premier League week 18 rivalry.
The Blues sit fourth on the table with 32 points having won 10 games, drawn twice and lost five whereas the Green Baggies are fifth with 31 points collected from nine victories and four draws while they lost four matches so far this campaign.
Considering the pedigree of both teams in Rwandan football, the game promises to live up to expectations with quality football while their rivalry also remains a major catalyst for their tensions on and off the pitch.
Francis Haringingo is seeking revenge against his former employers, keeping in mind that a defeat for the Burundian coach would not go down well with Rayon’s top hierarchy after they lost 2-1 to Kiyovu in the first round.
Kiyovu coach Jean de Dieu Mateso will also be looking to bring his side back to winning ways against the Blues, in an attempt to bounce back from his side's heartbreaking 3-2 loss to league leaders APR in a week 17 game.
Head to head
Rayon Sports vs Kiyovu is one of the fiercely-contested games in the history of Rwandan football. In their last 14 meetings dating back to 2014, Rayon won seven against Kiyovu's five while two ended in draws.
Despite Rayon having the upper hand with many wins in the past decade, Kiyovu have been the best team in their recent meetings since 2019. The last time the Blues recorded a win against Kiyovu was on December 1, 2019 when they beat the Mumena-based side 1-0 in the league.
Their last four meetings saw Kiyovu winning three and drawing one. Rayon will have no choice but to win the game to not only end the winless streak but also avoid a slip in their race for the title.
Key players to watch
Moussa Camara (Rayon Sports)
Malian Moussa Camara is slowly settling for life at Rayon in absence of Leandre Onana who is out through injury, after a slow start to the season.
The striker, who is in his second spell with the Blues, was on target when Rayon were held to a 1-1 draw with Mukura and all eyes will again be on him ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Much will depend on Camara if Rayon are to pick the three maximum points.
Haringingo could also introduce new signing Joackim Ojera into the fray and it could be a baptism of fire for the Ugandan.
Ismael Nshimirimana (Kiyovu)
The Burundian midfielder is the fulcrum in which the Kiyovu team revolves around. If he gets a good day the team moves. He has stepped up on the big occasion twice for his club this season against the big teams. He put up a man-of-the-match performance in the first leg against Rayon and scored a spectacular long range drive. Last week, he was superb again as he was unstoppable against APR and capped it with a superb strike.
The Mumena-based side will also have the luxury of having their skipper Ali Serumogo back to the setup after spending days AWOL. The Amavubi defender is expected to start on Sunday and could be one of the deciding factors.
In other games, ‘unpredictable’ Gorilla FC side will host highflying Gasogi United at Bugesera Stadium on Friday in a game in which the latter are expected to win to pile more pressure on table leaders APR.
Rutsiro host in-form Mukura Victory at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu in a must-win clash for them to cement their berth out of relegation.
AS Kigali and Police, who both lost in week 17 against Rwamagana City and Espoir respectively, face off on Sunday, with the former determined to amass all the three points and remain in the race for the title.
Elsewhere, Sunrise FC face an uphill task at home as they host APR FC. The Nyagatare- based club will be hoping to make amends after losing 3-0 against Gasogi last week.
Musanze, who are without a win in the second round of the league, will welcome an inform Etincelles team at Ubworoherane Stadium on Sunday in a game they cannot afford to lose.
Relegation-threatened Marines host Rwamagana City at Umuganda Stadium on Sunday while Espoir, who shocked Police FC on match day 17, seek to maintain their revival when they welcome Bugesera at Kamarampaka Stadium.