Rayon upbeat ahead of return leg at home

RWANDA LEAGUE champions Rayon Sports have vowed to book a slot in the first round of the Caf Champions League when they face AC Léopards de Dolisie of Congo Brazzaville on Saturday in the return leg. Rayon Sports returned home Monday night, after a first leg goalless draw away in Congo Brazzaville, last Sunday. “We will win the return leg match in Kigali on Saturday to move to the next round,” head coach Luc Eymael said on return from Congo Brazzaville. Eymael said he was happy with the team’s performance in the first leg, saying the team exhibited good play against a team which is rated among the top African clubs. “A goalless draw away gives us an advantage to prepare our team very well for the return leg. It will not be easy but since we have the home advantage, we will employ an offensive approach in search for goals and nothing will stop us from winning in front of our supporters,” added Eymael. Rayon Sports will miss the services of goalie Ndayishimiye who will be serving a one-match ban suspension and midfielder Aphrodis Hategikimana who suffered a knee injury. Gérard Bikorimana is the likely replacement for Ndayishimiye while Eymael will have to look up to Djihad Bizimana, Robert Ndatimana and Jacques Cyubahiro to fill Hategikimana’s slot. The blues, who are taking part in the Africa Champions League for the first time since 2005, must snatch a win against AC Léopards. If the game ends in a draw on Saturday, it will be decided on penalty shoot-outs. Should Rayon defeat the Congolese outfit, they will face the winner between 1ero Agosto of Angola and Lioli from Lesotho in the first round. The first round matches will be played between February 28 and March 9, while the final qualifying-round matches are slated for March 21-30.