Rayon Sports were held to a barren draw by Kiyovu Sports during Sunday’s fiercely-contested Rwanda Premier League derby held at Muhanga Stadium It was generally a low tempo game with few chances created as the encounter ended in a 0-0 draw. Rayon Sports got off to a bright start and could have broken the deadlock inside seven minutes but striker Moussa Camara was hesitant when he was beautifully played through in the box allowing goalkeeper Yves Kimenyi to save the danger. Kiyovu could hardly make any incursions in the vital area of Rayon as skipper Francois Mugisha and Didier Mucyo put the brakes on Erissa Ssekisambu and Bertrand Iradukunda. Rayon looked to be the more purposeful club in the game as they took control of the midfield with Rafael Olise running the show. Moussa Camara who was proving to be a tough customer for the Kiyovu defense beat the offside trap in the 38th minute but saw his strike miss the target. The first half ended goalless though Rayon were in total dominance. Kiyovu lifted up their game after recess with Abedi Bigirimana who had a quiet first half exerting some influence on the game. Despite the Green Baggies' resurgence in the second half, their attack was not sharp as the Rayon central defensive pair of Francois Mugisha and Isaac Mitima thwarted most of their efforts. Blues replaced Moussa Camara who had been wasteful in the afternoon with Musa Essenu and the Ugandan could have found the opener in the 74th minute but headed wide under no pressure in the Kiyovu penalty box. Rayon brought on Felix Ndekwe for Hadji Iraguha as they decided to use the wings but chances were far and few during the final quarter of the tight-lipped game as both teams opted for a relaxed approach in the final ten minutes until the referee blew the final whistle. In other games, Espoir and Bugesera shared the spoils after a 1-1 draw in Rusizi. Olivier Dushimimana gave the visitors the lead in the 75th minute before Yusuf Niyitanga equalized for Espoir ten minutes later. Marines also beat Rwamagana City 3-2 in an entertaining thriller in at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu. Elsewhere, Musanze FC are still without a win in the second round of the league as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Ubworoherane Stadium by Etincelles.
