African football governing body Confederations of African Football (CAF) have slapped three Rayon Sports trio, Yannick Mukunzi, Christ Mbondi and Kassim Ndayisenga with hefty bans and fines for instigating a brawl in their last CAF Confederations Cup tie against USM Alger on Sunday 29 July.
Rayon Sports lead for the better part of the game after Ismaila Diarra opened the scoring in the 28th minute and defended their hearts out with Alger mounting waves of attack but their back line finally crumbled under the immense pressure in the 86th minute when Mohammed Hamia restored parity for USM. In the added minutes a foul by a Rayon player set a brawl that involved a both benches and every player on the pitch.
Mukunzi has been fined $10,000 and handed a three match ban while Ndayisenga and Mbondi will serve a two match ban and subjected to a $5,000 fine each. Gor Mahia are set to meet Rayon Sports on Sunday 19 August at the MISC Kasarani without the three players a fact that is set to boost the chances of K’Ogallo’s qualifications into the quarter finals as they only need a single point to seal qualification.
Rayon Sports Football Club is an association football club from Nyanza, Southern province, Rwanda, now based in Kigali. The team currently competes in the Rwanda National Football League, and plays its home games at the Stade Amahoro in Kigali and Kigali Stadium, Nyamirambo.
For some years, its daily operations are were held in the southern province in Nyanza District. They have won 8 Rwandan Premier League titles, the most Premier League championships after one.
Throughout its history, the club has won 8 Rwandan Cups, 1 CECAFA Clubs’ Cup and a Kigali 100 Years’ Cup. The blues of Rwanda are said to have more than 60% of Football fans in the country, which makes it the most popular team in Rwanda and the only competent citizen owned club in the country of thousand hills.
The club was founded in May 1968 in Nyanza, but moved to the nation’s capital, Kigali, in 1986 before moving back in 2012 following an agreement with the Nyanza District authorities. Gikundiro spent few months in Nyanza and returned to Kigali where it is based currently. In 2012, the club also absorbed Nyanza Football Club, which was relegated from the Rwanda National Football League after the 2011–12 season.
CAF matches of the Preliminary, the 1/16th, the 1/8th rounds are played according to the knock-out system with ties broken via the Away goals rule. The eight teams eliminated from the 1/8th finals of the CAF Champions League will automatically qualify to play the additional 1/8th finals round of the CAF Confederation Cup
The eight teams which will qualify for the group matches from the additional 1/8th finals will be divided in two groups of four each. Each team shall play six matches against the other three opponents one match home and one match away and points granted upon the 3-1-0 system
The two group winners shall meet in the final which shall be played in two matches, home and away. The team scoring the highest aggregate number of goals in the two matches will be declared winner.
In case of equality in the number of goals scored during the two matches, the team scoring the greatest number of away goals will be declared winner. If the number of goals scored on the away matches is equal, kicks from the penalty mark will be taken.
The winning team of the CAF Confederation Cup will take the engagement of playing the CAF Super Cup against the champion of the CAF Champions League. The match will be played in the following year to that of the concerned competition, in one match, on the CAF Champions League champion’s venue.