Saturday, October 24
CAF Champions League
Zamalek SC 1-0 APR FC (Zamalek advance 2-0 on aggregate)
CAF Confederation Cup
Black Bulls 2-2 Rayon Sports (Black Bulls advance 4-2 on aggregate)
APR FC and Rayon Sports saw their continental campaigns come to an end on Saturday, October 24, after both sides were eliminated in the second preliminary round of the CAF inter-club competitions.
APR FC bowed out of the CAF Champions League following a 1-0 defeat to Zamalek SC in Cairo, while Rayon Sports were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup despite holding Mozambique’s Associação Black Bulls to a 2-2 draw in Maputo. Black Bulls progressed 4-2 on aggregate.
Zamalek too good for APR
APR FC travelled to Cairo needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit after suffering a late defeat at Amahoro Stadium, where Nasser Mansy scored the decisive goal for Zamalek.
The Rwandan champions delivered a disciplined performance at Cairo International Stadium, remaining in contention for much of the return leg.
However, their hopes of staging a comeback were dashed when Ahmed Sherif found the net for the Egyptian side, securing a 1-0 victory on the night and a 2-0 aggregate triumph.
APR’s elimination once again underlines the challenges Rwandan clubs face when competing against North African sides with extensive experience on the continental stage.
Although the military side showed defensive organisation across the two legs, they struggled to turn possession and attacking opportunities into goals.
The tie exposed APR’s shortcomings in the final third. Across 180 minutes, the Kigali-based club failed to score against a well-organised Zamalek defence.
The result also extends APR’s wait to reach the CAF Champions League group stage under the current competition format.
Rayon exit despite improved performance
Rayon Sports travelled to Maputo facing an uphill battle after suffering a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home in Kigali in the first leg a week earlier.
The Blues responded with greater attacking intent in Mozambique, with Elie Tatou Iradukunda opening the scoring to give the visitors hope of an unlikely comeback.
Black Bulls responded to level the matters before Akbar Muderi put the hosts ahead with five minutes remaining, finishing off a move created by Iradukunda.
Rayon Sports managed to find another goal as the match ended 2-2, but the result was insufficient to overturn the two-goal deficit from the first leg. Black Bulls advanced 4-2 on aggregate.
The result brought Rayon Sports’ 12-match unbeaten run in CAF competitions to an end. The streak dated back to their 1-0 defeat against Tanzania’s Young Africans (Yanga SC) in 2018.
For Rayon Sports, the decisive damage had largely been done in Kigali. Their inability to secure a positive result at home left them chasing the tie in Mozambique, where Black Bulls capitalised on their aggregate advantage to secure qualification.
Despite their elimination, Rayon Sports can take some encouragement from their improved second-leg display. The team showed greater resilience and attacking ambition than in the first encounter. However, defensive lapses and their failure to make home advantage count ultimately proved costly.
Difficult day for Rwandan football
The simultaneous elimination of APR FC and Rayon Sports marks a disappointing day for Rwandan football on the continental stage.
APR were unable to overcome the experience and quality of Zamalek, five-time African champions, while Rayon Sports paid the price for their first-leg defeat against a determined Black Bulls side.
For both clubs, attention will now turn to the NK Pro League.