Rayon Sports eye return to winning ways

Saturday SC Kiyovu vs Amagaju FC 3:30pm Mukura vs Rwamagana City Etincelles vs Rayon Sports Sunday AS Muhanga vs Musanze FC Gicumbi vs Marines AS Kigali vs Sunrise FC Former league champions Rayon Sports will be seeking to bounce back from the midweek defeat against AS Kigali when they face Etincelles today afternoon at Tam Tam stadium in the Azam Rwanda Premier League (ARPL). After losing 2-1 to Eric Nshimiyimana’s AS Kigali on Wednsday at Muhanga Regional Stadium, Rayon Sports need to beat struggling Etincelles, who lost their first two matches, if the new head Coach David Donadei is to avoid falling off the title race lane so early in the season. Donadei, still trying to make the ‘Blues’ a solid group, faces his Ugandan counterpart Ibrahim Kizito, who goes into today’s clash looking for the first point. The Frenchman has been tasked to lead Rayon Sports to the league title but before that, the Blues’ fans want wins in every game, so failure to beat relegation candidates, Etincelles, would pile more pressure on the coach. “We have to keep working hard and making sure that we create chances that will help us become dangerous in front of goal. After losing to AS Kigali, we want to bounce back on today. I want to players to not only get three points but also give a good performance,” Donadei told Saturday Sport. Donadei, who made a winning start against Marines on opening weekend, believes that with time his team will get better results ahead of a long season which still has another 28 more games to go. Donadei was appointed ahead of the season after the Nyanza-based club declined to renew Jean Baptsite Kayiranga’s one-year contract in which he led the club to fifth place in the league and the Peace Cup final where he lost 1-0 against Police FC. According to Etincelles assistant coach, Djibir Mutarambirwa, the Rubavu-based outfit, after losing to APR (1-0) and Rwamagana City (2-0), will be relying on home advantage to get their first win. The former Etincelles, APR, SC Kiyovu and Police midfielder said, “After losing our first two matches, we need to win the game so badly. Everybody knows Rayon Sports are the better team and would be expected to win but I’m hopeful it will be our day.” Elsewhere today, third-placed Rwamagana City FC, travel to Muhanga to take on 7th placed Mukura Victory Sports with three points, following their 2-0 win over reigning champions, APR FC on Tuesday. Twelveth-placed SC Kiyovu, seeking their first win after two consecutive draws; entertain Abdul ‘Beken’ Bizimana’s Amagaju in fourth place on four points, at Mumena stadium in Nyamirambo. On Sunday, Eric Nshimiyimana’s fifth-placed AS Kigali, fresh from defeating Rayon Sports in midweek, host Jimmy Mulisa’s Sunrise FC, in eighth place at Mumena. Ninth-placed Musanze FC play away to bottom side AS Muhanga at Muhanga Regional Stadium while Emmanuel Ruremesha’s Gicumbi FC in 13th place will play at home against eleventh-placed Marines, who won 1-0 against Sunrise on Wednesday.