Rayon Sports - was that on purpose??

As a football fanatic, I am always mocked for lacking objectivity when it comes to analysing issues about this beautiful but sometimes cruel sport. Many times I have had bitter arguments, lost my cool and even lost friends for a few days. Yeah. That’s how bad it gets at times. Nevertheless, nothing lasts forever; before you know it, the war is over, the bitterness is gone and we all kiss and make up. Last Saturday was one of those gloomy days for Rayon Sports fans; and I can only imagine them going through what fanatics go through. Having looked the better side against FC Leopards, Rayon Sports players did the unthinkable; to throw away a comfortable 2-0 lead at home in the biggest club competition on the continent. The way they exited this tournament - only the spiritual world can explain. I missed watching the game by a whisker and was feeling bad while I followed on radio. However, after the final whistle, I was glad I didn’t waste a dime trekking all the way to Amahoro stadium. Games such as these make me lose my cool and are the sole reason why I probably get over the top on why I seem to lack objectivity. For example; I had an argument with a friend who happens to be an APR fan; he insisted that Rayon Sports would have been lucky to go any further in the tournament. He made it point blank that Rayon are too weak and lack the experience to beat strong sides in the competition. I assured him about how his argument is flawed – and gave him my version. To me, Rayon Sports gave away that game intentionally. Reason? I have no clue! Proof? I have no clue! Regardless, it was very clear to me our reigning league champions got what they wanted – to get out of the biggest tournament in Africa despite having one leg over the line. Talk of mediocre ambitions. If anyone thinks that I am totally off the grid, they should answer this question. How often does a team playing on home tuff give away a two-goal advantage in the shortest spell against a team that were down to 10 men? The key words are; home tuff, two goal advantages and one-man-less. With the scores evenly balanced at 0-0 from the first leg, Rayon Sport had a sweet advantage over Congolese side, which, in all honesty have bigger ambitions than our teams. And indeed, when the game kicked off at Amahoro, the Rwandan champions did not waste any time – they did the needful in the first 45 minutes by leading 2-0. But in the second half, when all they needed was to defend what they had, they switched off and handed the visitors the initiative to attack which resulted in AC Leopards getting two goals in a space of three minutes, and whatever happened thereafter is a story for movie script writers. This is arguably the toughest time for a particular fan - a Rayon Sports fan doubling as a Manchester United fan. It could be the season for psychiatrists to make fortunes off them. Both these clubs share something in common that offers nothing nice to look up to. A fall from grace is what can best describe them. Changing managers at Manchester United was always going to bring tough times; but nobody expected the tough times to be as tough as failing to chase a fourth place finish. The bitterness towards David Moyes’ tactics is one of those things that gives fans sleepless nights. When it comes to Rayon Sports, league champions last season – for a fan who parted with money, to witness something with a horrible resemblance to a fixed game, it would be irresponsible to try to describe how they felt – because it simply just can’t be explained.

Insight

Rayon Sports - was that on purpose??