Rival Rwandan Fans Hail Rivers United

BY: SAMMY WEJINYA

Fans of Rwandan club, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Football Club (APR), local rivals of Rivers United’s Confederation Cup opponents, Rayon Sports  on Friday stormed the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali to cheer players of Nigerian club, Rivers United ahead of Saturday’s match.

As Rivers United held a training session at the Amahoro Stadium ahead of the decisive second leg game,  the fans, numbering well over a thousand, were in full voice, singing local songs and chanting, ‘Rivers! Rivers!

APR and Rayon Sports are bitter rivals domestically with fans of either club known to support opponents of their foes. Eric Ravi, a well-known fan of APR, explained that Rivers United will receive ‘massive support’ from APR fans who are eager to see Rayon Sports eliminated from the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.

“We (fans of Rayon Sports) will give massive support to Rivers United (on Saturday) because we don’t want Rayon to reach the group stage of the competition,” Ravi told supersport.com.

A female supporter of Rayon who simply identified herself as ‘Shaka’ however stated that the majority of the support on Saturday will be for Rayon.

“Of course, there will be some fans of APR who will support Rivers United on Saturday but I can tell you that the majority of the fans at the Amahoro Stadium on match day will be rooting for Rayon Sports.

“Rayon Sports is the club of the common man in Rwanda and as such, the people identify with the club.

“Rivers United will lose on Saturday and it will be a victory for the people of Rwanda,” Shaka declared. Rivers United defeated Rayon Sports 2-0 in the first leg of the playoff tie in Port Harcourt last Sunday.