Rayon look to beat Police to keep pace with APR

Saturday Amagaju Fc vs Bugesera FC 3:30pmRwamagana City vs APR FC Musanze Fc vs Espoir FC Marines Fc vs SC Kiyovu Sunrise FC vs Mukura VS AS Kigali vs AS Muhanga Gicumbi Fc vs EtincellesRayon Sports vs Police FC 6pm Title contenders Rayon Sports will be hoping to continue their impressive run when they host Police FC on match-day 20 in the national football league this evening at Kigali Regional Stadium. Djuma Masudi’s side will hope their striking duo of Ugandan Davis Kasirye and Malian Ismaila Diarra maintain their recent form against the Cops and help the Blues to another important victory. Rayon, in second place on the table, will also hope that league leaders APR FC, who have a four-point cushion, drop points when they visit Rwamagana City. Kasirye has netted nine goals in 19 matches for the Blues, while Diarra has scored five goals since his arrival early this year. Speaking to Saturday Sport ahead of today’s clash against Police, Rayon Sports’ interim head coach Masudi, who took over in March, said his players are determined to end the season on a high. Since Masudi took over from Belgian Ivan Jacky Minnaert, who joined Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards in March, he has not lost a single game, winning four and drawing two. “Our mission this season is to challenge for the league title, and to do so we have to win every match. We have players who are ready for the task at hand, we try to take it game by game and the philosophy will not change in the match against Police,” the former Rayon Sports striker said. He added: “We have been doing well this season and we don’t want to squander any chance. This is a very big game for us and it’s very important for us to win and keep pressure on APR.” While Rayon Sports have been in impressive form in recent days, winning all three games in the season’s second round, their opponents, Police FC have only managed one point from a possible nine, which has seen them slip to fifth on the table on 32 points, seven behind Rayon in second place. Police head coach Andre Casa Mbungo, who has come under pressure following defeats to APR and Bugesera as well a draw against lowly Rwamagana City FC, admits that defeat to Rayon Sports would complicate things for his team’s slim hopes of staying in the title race. “We respect Rayon Sports because they are a strong team with talented players but we shall put up a good performance and try to win the game. We need to win to move into good positions,” said the former AS Kigali coach. “We have only picked one point from nine, which is not anywhere near good enough for a team like Police FC, but we need to bounce back and get points against Rayon Sports, it is going to be tough but we have to show that we’re not dead or out of the (title) race completely,” he added. In the first round of the season, the two sides played to a 1-all draw, while in their last 22 meetings, it’s Rayon Sports who have mostly come out on top – with 10 wins – compared to Police FC’s three, with nine matches ending in draws. Leaders APR FC, on 43 points, will visit the struggling Rwamagana City FC, who have slumped to 15th position with 11 points. editorial@newtimes.co.rw