Rayon Sports will face Gasogi United in the only fixture that will mark the opening of the 2023/24 Rwanda Premier League season at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Friday, August 18. The game promises to be keenly contested given that Gasogi was a tough customer for Rayon Sports last season when they beat them 1-0 on December 23, 2022 in a game which nearly caused the sacking of then coach Francis Haringingo. Over the years, Rayon has been the better side in their previous meetings overall, winning four games, drawn three and lost one in eight games. But they are going to face a different Gasogi side which is capable of causing an upset again. Rayon are back in action in a positive mood after destroying bitter rivals APR FC with a 3-0 victory to lift the FERWAFA Super Cup in style. However, Gasogi president and proprietor Charles Kakooza Nkuriza, commonly known as KNC, has already fired a warning to the Blues that his team will at any cost take all three points from a win that he wants to dedicate to club rivals APR and Kiyovu. “I invite all Kiyovu and APR fans to attend this match because we are going to do revenge for them. They (Rayon Sports fans) will leave the stadium angry like APR’s were after the Super Cup final,” KNC told journalists during a pre-match press conference on Wednesday. ALSO READ: Haringingo on brink of the sack as Gasogi pip Rayon Rayon are, on the other hand, brimming with confidence from last weekend’s Super Cup glory and new coach Yamen Zelfani will be hoping to build on that and start the league with a massive win against Gasogi as he aims to go all out and hand the league title for Rayon for the first time in five years. The game will be very entertaining with Rayon likely to rely on the pace and artistry of Ugandan attacker Joachiam Ojera. The talented forward is on any day unplayable and one moment of brilliance from him can settle the game. Coach Zelfani is likely to use a 4-2-3-1 formation with the two central midfielders being Eric Ngendahimana and fit-again Rafael Osaluwe. Ojera and Rharb Youssef will likely be on either flanks with Heritier Luvumbu behind lone striker Charles Bbaale. Gasogi also has a solid midfield. Their key man is Theodor Malipangou who has the tendency to run the show on his own. He can form an attacking partnership with Cameroonian star Maxwell Djoumekou who can also be deadly if he gets the needed services. In all, it is going to be an exciting fixture. Rayon starts as favourites but Gasogi can cause a surprise.
