Rayon Sports began their 2023/24 Rwanda Premier League season with a 2-1 victory over Gasogi United at Kigali Pele Stadium on Friday, August 18.
Rayon’s new coach Zelfani Yamen started the game with five new signings, including Ally Serumogo at right back, Aruna Madjaliwa and Emmanuel Mvuyekure in central midfield, and Ugandan striker Charles Bbaale leading the attack with Rharb Youssef operating from his left in a 4-3-3 formation.
Rayon Sports’ aggressive play began immediately after the whistle, as they trapped their opponents in their own half.
Rayon played with such fluency that it allowed Joackim Ojera and Rharb Youssef to flourish on the right and left sides of their attack.
The Blues might have taken the lead in the eighth minute when Bbaale headed a beautiful cross from Ojera, but it hit the post and went wide.
The game’s stalemate was broken in the 11th minute when Bbaale, who was torturing the Gasogi backline, scored with a beautiful finish.
The goal had the Rayon faithful on their feet, chanting in the middle of drums and dancing.
Gasogi chose to sit back and soak the pressure as they attempted to catch Rayon on the break, but they swiftly abandoned that plan, with Rayon’s lateral defenders Ally Serumogo and Elie Ganijuru standing firm and acting as a stumbling block.
Ojera, who was a tough customer for the Gasogi players, excellently set up Rharb Youssef, who made no mistake by depositing the ball in the back of the net in the 17th minute to make it 2-0.