Rayon Sports coach Martinez Espinosa has insisted that his side still got a chance to retain the Rwanda Premier League title despite a not-so-good display against rivals APR on Saturday. The Blues lost 2-0 to ten-man APR at Amahoro Stadium as the latter extended their lead to six points. “The game did not go as planned, it’s indeed disappointing. We were outplayed in the midfield, and from there everything else went wrong,” said Martinez in a post-match interview. “APR were efficient in front of goal, and I have to congratulate them for the deserved win. Nonetheless, the race continues and we are definitely not giving up. The Mexican further warned that counting his side out of the race would be a ‘big mistake’, reminding that Rayon fought back from a worse situation to win the 2018/2019 title. Lague Byiringiro and centre-back Thierry Manzi were the scorers for the military side on Saturday. After the first 15 matches – out of 30 – this season, Rayon are third with 31 points, one behind second-placed Police. Record 17-time champions APR top the table with 37 points. In a separate interview, APR coach Mohamed Adil Erradi warned his players against complacency. “We are happy for this win, but we have to maintain the momentum. We can be complacent.” After Saturday’s encounter, APR and Rayon will again in their second league derby this season in May 2020.
