In the First Half of the 2024-2025 Rwanda Premier League, APR FC and Rayon Sports Displayed Contrasting Performances That Surprised Their Fans in Different Ways.
APR FC began the league with insufficient preparation time due to their commitment to representing Rwanda in the CAF Champions League.
This led to numerous postponed matches in the league. On matchday 1, APR
FC drew 0-0 with Rutsiro and continued to face other challenges, including a
goalless draw with Rayon Sports and more stalemates on matchdays 5 and 6,
against Etincelles and Gorilla, with the latter resulting in a forfeit.
APR FC fans were dissatisfied with their team’s performance in the first half of the league, especially due to errors in matches. One key issue was fielding foreign players in violation of league rules.
This led to the
controversial Gorilla match, where APR FC was sanctioned for fielding seven
foreign players at once, resulting in a forfeit loss.
By matchday 15, APR FC had climbed to second place in the league
standings, accumulating 31 points with a goal difference of +10.
Despite this, the first 15 matches left APR fans calling for the dismissal of coach Darko Novic, criticizing his failure to utilize the foreign players recruited by the team.
Consequently, APR’s success was overshadowed by
their main rival, and fans were frustrated by the team’s hard-fought victories,
despite being well-structured.
Rayon Sports: Winning Multiple Matches
Rayon Sports, like APR FC, started the league with
some challenges. On the first match day, they drew 0-0 against Marines, and on
the second, they managed a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Amagaju. However, after
that, the team began performing better, winning 11 out of their first 14
matches, until they faced Mukura on match day 15, where they lost 2-1.
In the first half of the league, Rayon Sports faced
financial difficulties, which led to key players like Haruna Niyonzima leaving
the team. There was also a moment when Nsabimana Aimable temporarily stopped
training due to financial problems but later resumed.
As the financial crisis deepened within Rayon
Sports, some of the club’s former leaders stepped in to restore stability. They
also facilitated the election of a new leadership team headed by Muvunyi Paul
and supported by Twagirayeze Thadeo.
Despite going through challenges that caused player
unrest, Rayon Sports finished the first half of the league still in first place
with 36 points and a goal difference of +19, maintaining high hopes of
competing for the league title.
Results of Rayon Sports' Matches:
Despite the many challenges Rayon Sports faced in
the first half of the season, particularly in player management and financial
issues, the team continued to secure victories and foster a positive
atmosphere, thanks to the impressive performance of coach Robertinho.
Both teams, APR FC and Rayon Sports, often struggled
against teams from the Huye region, namely Mukura VS and Amagaju. In recent
matches played in Huye, APR lost to Amagaju 1-0, while Rayon Sports was
defeated by Mukura 2-1. This was not limited to Huye, as similar challenges
occurred in Kigali. For instance, Amagaju drew 2-2 with Rayon Sports, APR FC
defeated Mukura 4-2, although Mukura had initially scored two goals against APR
FC.
During the first half of the league, Rayon Sports
brought exceptional joy to its fans, led by journalist Wasili, who often
emphasized that no team in the world could defeat Rayon Sports. Many perceived
his statements as exaggerated, intended to add excitement to Rayon Sports'
matches and boost the morale of its supporters.
On the other hand, APR FC fan Janguani was known for
his bold declarations, asserting that no team could escape APR FC’s dominance.
However, his words did not resonate as strongly with APR fans as expected, due
to the various challenges their team encountered, making Janguani’s claims seem
less convincing.
APR FC and Rayon Sports are leading Rwanda Premier League Table
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