Etincelles kept their unbeaten run alive with a 1-0 win against Musanze in the third round of the National Football League on Tuesday. The result leaves the hosts second on seven points from three games, while Musanze remain eighth with three points after two matches.
G. Ndonga Bivula was the scorer, finding the net in the 90th minute to settle the contest. And here's the thing — by then the game had already taken on the character of a tight affair, and that late strike carried more weight than the scoreline suggested.
Etincelles have played one more match than their visitors, but the gap in the table tells you something about consistency. Two wins and a draw against zero losses is a solid foundation, whereas Musanze have tasted defeat once and have yet to build momentum.
Looking back at recent results, Etincelles came through against Gorilla 1-0 on Saturday after a goalless draw with Sunrise. Musanze responded to a 1-2 loss to AS Kigali with a 1-0 win over Kiyovu Sports — a bounce-back that suggested they were not done yet.
We had called for the home side, with 39 per cent confidence. To be fair, the figure was not high, but it reflected the reality that Etincelles have been hard to break down and Musanze still have games to find their rhythm. The prediction held.
A narrow margin, but the three points matter. Etincelles extend their unbeaten run and keep pressure on the teams above, while Musanze will need to regroup and find the consistency that has eluded them so far this season.