Rayon Sports head coach Julien Mette has admitted that the Rwandan Premier League title is now out of their reach following Saturday’s shock derby loss to arch rivals APR FC.
Goals from Clement Ishimwe and Ramadan Niyibizi secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues, a result that saw APR move 13 points clear at the top. After the game, Mette accepted the defeat and that his side’s hopes of winning the title were over.
“To be honest, the title is beyond our grasp. Despite our best efforts, we must face the reality of the situation,” the French tactician told the press in a post-match interview.
Saturday’s win also brought Rayon Sports’ four-game unbeaten derby run to an end something that Mette attributed to recent departures of club key players including Joackiam Ojera, Heritier Luvumbu and captain Abdul Rwatubyaye.
“We lost our best players in the mid-season when it wasn’t possible to replace them. The team that beat APR in the Peace Cup or Super Cup is quite different from the one we have today,” the coach explained, adding: “Our focus now turns to winning the Peace Cup and we have good chances to achieve it.”
APR haven’t lost a single match so far this season, having won 17 matches and drawn seven times.
- Rwanda Times newspaper.