Rayon will bounce back, says Masudi

By Peter Kamasa Saturday Espoir FC 0-0 Bugesera Marines 2-3 Sunrise FC Police FC 2-2 Rayon Sports Kirehe FC 0-0 Pipinierre Gicumbi FC 2-2 SC Kiyovu Friday Mukura 2-3 APR FC Rayon Sports head coach Djuma Masudi has high hopes that his team will regain the top spot after drawing 2-2 against Police FC in a league match played on Saturday at Amahoro National Stadium. The draw leaves the former champions in second place with 37 points from 16 matches—Rayon are one point behind defending champions and archrivals APR FC, who beat Mukura Victory Sports 3-2 at Huye Stadium earlier on Friday, although the army side have played one more game. Burundi international Pierrot Kwizera converted a free kick in the 12th minute to put the Blues in the lead but Dany Usengimana, the league top scorer equalized seven minutes later, to take his tally to 13 goals in 17 matches. Former Rwanda U-17 forward Justin Mico made it 2-1 for Police with a cool finish on the half hour mark minute after a good cross from Usengimana while Burundian striker Shassir Nahimana levelled for Rayon Sports in the 88th minute to get his 12th goal of the campaign. Innocent Seninga’s Police FC remain in fourth position with 32 points, one behind third-placed AS Kigali after 17 games. Rayon Sports have one game in hand against Espoir FC, and Masudi remains optimistic, “We really wanted to win today but a draw against a very good side like Police is not a bad result.” “I believe we will return to top position if we win our game in hand. We are competing for the league title and today we had enough chances to win but I hope we will bounce back in the next matches,” Masudi stated. His counterpart Seninga said, “On one hand you can say, we’re disappointed not to get all three points after leading for a long time but on the other, a draw is one point gained because, on another day, we could have lost the game after falling behind so early.” “It was a very tough game but I am thankful to get a point instead of going with nothing. We did our best but we failed to hold on in the last five minutes. We will continue working hard to remain in title race,” noted the former Etincelles coach. Elsewhere on Saturday, Bugesera FC (31 points) squandered the chance to leapfrog Police in fourth place after being held to a goalless draw by Espoir FC in Rusizi, while the later remains in seventh place with 27 points. Meanwhile, newly appointed Sunrise FC head coach Andre Casa Mbungo got off to a winning start beating Marines 3-2 at Umuganda Stadium to jump to ninth place with 21 points, while Marines, with 18 points, remain one place and nine points above the relegation zone. In Kirehe, the hosts were held to a goalless draw against bottom side Pepiniere, while second from bottom Gicumbi FC also drew 2-2 against SC Kiyovu at Stade de Gicumbi. editorial@newtimes.co.rw