LEAGUE PREVIEW : Champions APR take on Mukura

National Football LeaguePlaying todayMukura vs APR Musanze vs Atraco Rayon vs EtincellesAmagaju vs AS KigaliMarines vs Police Playing SundayKiyovu vs Electrogaz THE national football league resumes this afternoon after a three-week break as ten-time league champion APR face early season strugglers Mukura at Huye stadium. The military side is set to be boosted with its youthful players, who took part in the just concluded Challenge Cup where Rwanda finished second after a 2-0 loss to Uganda Cranes in the final. Dutch coach Erik Paske whose side is chasing for an eleventh league title will rely on key defenders Kalisa Mao, Didier Kapet, midfielders Haruna Niyonzima, Patrick Mafisango, Jean Claude Iranzi, and keeper Jean Luc Ndayishimiye. Mukura coach Ali Bizimana is optimistic his club will defeat APR to get out of the relegation zone. “We are now fine and I have nothing to worry at the moment. We have managed to overcome our recent problems and now everyone is focused on the game with APR,” Bizimana said. The former Kiyovu coach expects Hussein Sibomana and Didier Bizimana to be available for today’s match. The pair have been absent from the club’s training since early this week. Leaders Atraco will be looking to stretch their lead at the summit of the table when they take on newly promoted Musanze away in Ruhengeri. The taxi-men side failed to start preparations in time following the unavailability of tacticians Emmanuel Ruremesha and Sam Timbe. Timbe was expected to return back from Uganda on Thursday while Ruremesha joined the team after Amavubi Stars’ return from Kenya on Monday. Ruremesha is positive his side will acquire positive results against Musanze despite lack of enough preparations. The 2007 league champions will be minus influential players Johnson Bagoole and Aloua Gaseruka. Gaseruka was sold to Sudanese El Merreikh last week while Bagoole is on trials with DR Congo’s AS Vita club. The taxi-men side leads the league standings with 12 points and is unbeaten in four matches played this season. Six-time league champions Rayon Sport host Etincelles at Nyamirambo stadium in one of the exhilarating match of the day. The blues and Etincelles are all level with APR on ten points. Rayon coach Jean Baptiste Kayiranga will be delighted to field Amavubi Stars’ top scorer at the just concluded Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, Yussuf Ndayishimiye to find the net for the blues. Ndayishimiye was Rwanda’s lead scorer with four goals, one goal behind tournament’s top scorer Mrisho Ngasa from Tanzania. On Sunday, Rwanda’s oldest club, SC Kiyovu will come head to head with Electrogaz at Nyamirambo stadium. Ends