Rayon Sports will give special bonuses to their players after the team qualified for the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup, according to the club’s secretary general Bernard Itangishaka. Each of the 18 players that traveled to Maputo will get Rwf2.8m while the players who didn’t travel with the team will get Rwf1.3m, he said. However, Itangishaka refused to say how much the coaching staff would get. “We have to reward the players because it is a major milestone for this club and country. I cannot tell you when they will get the money but it is soon,” Itangishaka After qualifying for the group stages, Rayon Sports are set to get Rwf230m, if they manage to finish third in their group, they will get an additional Rwf230m while the top two teams that will qualify for the quarterfinals will scoop Rfw295m. Semifinalists are given Rwf379m while the runners up get Rwf526m and the winner takes one billion. Rayon Sports are the first Rwandan club to progress to any CAF club competition group stage. Rayon Sports reached the Caf Confederation Cup group phase at the expense of Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol of Mozambique despite losing 0-2 on Tuesday in a playoff second leg. The Rwandan league giants advanced 3-2 on aggregate to the 16-club mini-league stage after winning the first leg 3-0 in Kigali. The draw for the group stage will be held tomorrow in Cairo, Egypt. The teams that have qualified for the group stages are USM Alger, Al Hilal, Vita Club, Enyimba, ASEC Mimosas, Young Africans, CARA Brazzaville, WAC Casablanca, Al-Masry, Aduana Stars, Gor Mahia, Djoliba, Raja Casablanca, RS Berkane, UD Songo, and Rayon Sports. Meanwhile, Rayon Sports were expected to return home last night and a homecoming party organised by the club and fans was scheduled to take place at Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
