APR once again proved their cup winning credentials as they put up a superb performance to see off bitter rivals Rayon Sports 2-1 in the second leg of the 2022 Peace Cup semi-final game at the Kigali stadium on Thursday afternoon. The Army side went through 2-1 on aggregate after being held to a goalless draw in the first leg last week and will now battle city rivals AS Kigali in the final. The game started at a slow pace with each of the teams taking time to examine the others approach. After the first ten minutes, APR took hold of the game as they pinned their opponents into their own half. The pressure APR mounted yielded a goal in the 12th minute when Innocent Nshuti headed home a cross from the right to give the army side a well-deserved lead. The goal seemed to have awakened Rayon Sports from their slumber as skipper Kevin Muhire and his partner Blaise Nishimwe seized the midfield with some wonderful displays. Rayon were able to create two decent chances in the process but Musa Essenu wasted them all as they continued to labor to score the chances they got. Their efforts were rewarded in the 42nd minute when there was a handball infringement in the penalty box of which the referee whistled and skipper Kevin Muhire stepped up to put the resultant spot kick in the back of the net. With the scores at 1-1 and with three minutes to the end of the first half, both teams recoiled into their shells until the referee blew for recess. APR started piling pressure on Rayon early in the second half and had a goal in the 48th minute through Aimable Nsabimana which unsettled Rayon Sports as they began to chase the game. The three changes APR coach Adil Mohamed made at half time by bringing in Lague Byiringiro, Anicet Ishimwe and Yves Mugunga for Yannick Bizimana, Gilbert Mugisha and Alain Kwitonda respectively seems to have ignited their attack as they mesmerized the Rayon defenders. Anicet Ishimwe for instance became a tough customer for Samuel Ndizeye as the central defender could not contain him. Rayons only chance in the second half fell to Musa Essenu in the 67th minute but the striker blasted his effort wide inside the APR penalty box. In an effort to beef up his attack and midfield, Rayon sports coach Jorge Paxaio brought on Souleymane Sanogo and Pierrot Kwizera for Mael Dindjeke and Kevin Ishimwe but it yielded no dividends as they failed to cause any havoc in the APR half. With ten minutes to the end of the match, APR players decided to hold the ball in midfield to kill time and it worked perfectly with Anicet Ishimwe dropping deep and juggling the ball each time he had it until the referee blew the full time whistle. APR will now face AS Kigali in the final of the Peace Cup. The winner of the competition will represent Rwanda in next season’s CAF Confederations Cup tournament.
