Kigali’s top clubs met to raise the curtains on the 2023-24 season in Rwandan football and it was Rayon Sports who came out on top over rivals APR FC in Saturday’s Rwanda Super Cup. Gikundiro won 3-0 courtesy of goals from Charles Bbaale, Rachid Kalisa and Joakim Ojera as the winners of the Rwandan Peace Cup triumphed over the Rwanda Premier League champions.
A dream start for Rayon Sports saw the club snatch the lead inside the opening ten minutes. Ugandan striker Bbaale, who tallied twelve goals for Uganda Premier League runners-up SC Villa last season, stormed in to meet Heritier Luvumbu’s free kick service with a powerful header that left APR goalkeeper Pavelh Ndzila with little chance.
APR looked dangerous on several occasions but failed to equalize just after the twenty minute mark when Sharaf Shaiboub somehow missed an empty net following a poor giveaway by Rayon Sports keeper Bonheur Hategekimana.
Despite their dominance it was not meant to be for APR who fell beyond reach after another member of Gikundiro’s Ugandan contingent, Ojera, drew a penalty kick in the final ten minutes which was converted by Kalisa. Ojera continued to cause problems and was given the honors after winning yet another penalty kick in the final seconds which the former Uganda Revenue Authority SC player dispatched to spark the celebrations.
Highlights from the Super Cup are below.
