Sunday APR 3-1 Gicumbi Etoile de lEst 0-3 Police Musanze 3-1 Bugesera Etincelles 0-0 Rutsiro Saturday Rayon 1-0 Mukura Marines 0-1 Gasogi Espoir 0-2 AS Kigali Kiyovu 1-0 Gorilla FC The Rwanda national football league’s 2021/22 season got underway on Saturday, October 30, with some interesting results. The Week 1 matches saw three sides winning away while four won at home. There was only one drawn game, which pitted Etincelles against Rutsiro. Overall, a total of sixteen goals were scored. Time Sport’s Edmund Okai Gyimah looks at numbers from Week 1 of the new league campaign. Rayon Sports got the perfect start they needed with a 1-0 victory over visiting Mukura Victory Sports. Moroccan import Youssef Barb netted the only goal of the game played at the Stade Kigali, in Nyamirambo, on Saturday. Also in the border town of Rusizi, title hopefuls AS Kigali made minced meat of Espoir FC in a one-sided away game. Nigerian striker Abubakar Lawal opened the scoring in the 8th minute before Burundian star Shabani Hussein rounded it off with 10 minutes to the final whistle. Marine FC stayed in Rubavu District and lost 0-1 to visiting Gasogi United at Umuganda Stadium on Saturday, thanks to Tressor Ndabarasa’s solo strike. Green baggies SC Kiyovu also edged Gorilla United by one goal to nothing. Ismael Nshimiyimana was the lone goal hero. Elsewhere, at the 4,000 capacity Ubworoherane Stadium, Musanze FC walloped Bugesera 3-1. Nigerian attacker Samson Ikechukwu converted a penalty to give the host a first half lead before Eric Angua and Ben Ocen added to the tally in the second period. Didier Mugisha scored the consolation goal of the visitors. Newcomers Etoile de lEst received a baptism of fire in the top tier league as they suffered a 3-0 home defeat Police FC. Dany Usengimana, Amavubi offensive midfielder Muhadjiri Hakizimana and Osée Iyabivuze were the scorers. Defending champions APR also got off to a bright start with a 3-1 home win over Gicumbi who earned a promotion back to topflight football last month. Alain Kwitonda netted the opener from the spot before Yannick Bizimana and Dieudonne Ndayishimiye killed the game for the army side. Gicumbi got the consolation goal through Calvin Leku. In what was the only draw of the weekend, visiting Rutsiro FC held Etincelles to a barren draw at Umuganda Stadium on Sunday.
