Gicumbi moved further clear at the summit of the National Football League with a 2-1 victory over Étoile de l'Est in the third round of the regular season. The result at the host stadium extended Gicumbi's unbeaten run to three wins from three, while Étoile remain winless after their opening three fixtures. The visitors hold every card at this stage of the campaign.
J. Tuyisenge opened the scoring for Étoile in the 16th minute, catching the home side on the front foot. The hosts dallied on the ball in midfield and Gicumbi pounced on the space behind. S. Arigumaho equalised for the visitors just before half-time with a goal in the 45th minute plus one. By then the game had opened up, and Gicumbi took the lead when K. Iradukunda struck in the 86th minute to finish the contest.
The away side's standing tells the story of their start — nine points from three games, top of the table with three consecutive victories. Étoile sit in 11th place with a solitary point from their three matches, having drawn once and lost twice. There is no value left at that number for the hosts, who have not won since a 2-1 victory over Police in 2024.
Gicumbi's recent form has been sharp. They beat Amagaju 1-0 on September 12th and followed up with a 2-1 win against Police on September 7th. Étoile, meanwhile, came away with a goalless draw against AS Kigali on their penultimate fixture before this match, but could not carry that momentum into the encounter.
The result leaves Gicumbi four points clear at the top, and they now hold the initiative in the title race. Étoile's winless run extends to three games, and the pressure will begin to mount. The visitors ground out the win when it mattered, and the gap at the summit grows wider.