Wednesday

Musanze FC 0-1 Mukura VC
Rwamagana City 0-1 SC Kiyovu
Police FC 3-1 Espoir

Tuesday

Bugesera FC 1-1 AS Kigali
Sunrise 1-1 Gicumbi FC
Marines FC 1-0 Etincelles
Rayon Sports 0-0 AS Muhanga

Muhadjiri Hakizimana scored his seventh league goal on Wednesday to send Mukura Victory Sports to the second position in the national league.

Hakizimana, who turned 22 on February 1, scored the lone goal against George Semwogerere’s Musanze FC. Mukura has 23 points, two behind leaders AS Kigali after 11 rounds of matches.

Hakizimana is a last born in a football playing family that has also produced legends like Abdul Sibomana and current Amavubi skipper, Haruna Niyonzima.

“He is a talented boy, and you can see how he has improved this season. I am happy with the way my team played, but we have to stay focused and improve every game we play,” head coach Godfrey Okoko said.

The Burundian tactician added, “We cannot start talking about the title after just 11 matches, we need to stay calm and take it game by game.”

Hakizimana was among the 32-player provisional squad for the 2016 African Nations Championship, but never made the cut in the final team. Since the start of the league, he has scored against Police, Sunrise, Muhanga, SC Kiyovu, Amagaju (2) and Musanze—he also has three assists in league so far.

“This is my work, so I am always trying to be the best that I can by working hard not only during matches but first on the training ground,” Hakizimana told Times Sport in a separate interview.

The former SC Kiyovu starlet noted, “We need to continue to win our games and see where we will finish, it is a league and we will need to give our best in every game, if we want to achieve our set targets.”

Hakizimana’s strike against Musanze FC, took him to the top of the top scorers’ chart with seven goals, ahead of AS Kigali striker Ernest Sugira and Police FC’s Isaie Songa, who are both on six goals.

Police beat Espoir 3-0 to go into fourth place with 20 points, thanks to a brace from newly installed skipper, Innocent Habyarimana and one from Muhammed Mushimiyimana while Fiston Nzamukunda netted the consolation goal for Espoir.

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League table

Team                      PD      W     D     L     Pts

AS Kigali                  11      7       4      0     25
Mukura VS               11      7       2      2     23
Rayon Sports           11      6       4      1     22
Police FC                  10     5       5      0      20
APR FC                     9       5        3      1    18
Kiyovu Sports            11     4       5       1    17
Musanze                   11      3       3       5     12
Gicumbi                    10      2       6       2     12
Amagaju                    9       3       3       3     12
Sunrise                     10      3       2       5     11
Marines                     10      2       4       4     10
Espoir                        10      2      4       4     10
Rwamagana City        9       2      1        6     7
Bugesera                   9        1       4       4     7
Etincelles                   11       1      2       7      6
AS Muhanga              11       0      3       8      3

Additional reporting Times