Saturday

Rayon Sports 0-2 Black Bulls

Rayon Sports suffered a major setback in their bid to reach the CAF Confederation Cup group stage after losing 2-0 to Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the first leg of the second preliminary round at Amahoro Stadium on Saturday evening.

The defeat leaves the Rwandan side facing an uphill task in the return leg, scheduled for October 24, 2026, in Mozambique, where they must overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their hopes of progressing alive.

After a closely contested first half, Black Bulls broke the deadlock in the 54th minute through Abdou Gueye. The striker rose highest to head home from a well-delivered free kick near the corner area, putting the visitors ahead.

The match also witnessed an unusual incident in the 58th minute when centre referee Salisu Basheer was forced to leave the pitch due to an injury. He was replaced by fourth official Aboubakar Abdullahi.

Despite falling behind at home, Rayon Sports continued to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. However, poor finishing proved costly, as Gloire Tambwe, Junior Kameni, Akbar Muderi and Atisso Kodjo all failed to capitalise on promising chances.

As the Blues pushed forward in search of an equaliser, their defensive vulnerabilities left them exposed at the back.

Black Bulls took advantage deep into stoppage time, launching a swift counterattack to extend their lead. Danilo Muze picked out Dande Junior with a precise pass after Rayon Sports’ defenders were caught out of position, allowing the forward to calmly slot the ball home in the 90+4th minute and seal a 2-0 victory.

The result leaves Rayon Sports with a daunting challenge ahead of the return leg in Mozambique. The Rwandan side must overcome the two-goal deficit away from home to keep their dream of reaching the CAF Confederation Cup group stage alive.