Peace Cup: It is a do or die for APR FC

APR FC head coach Jimmy Mulisa has admitted that his team must win the Peace Cup in order to represent Rwanda in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup, adding that short of that will be 'total failure'.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017
APR FC head coach Jimmy Mulisa has admitted that ending the season empty-handed will be a big failure for the military side. / Sam Ngendahimana

June 18First legPolice FC vs Rayon SportsMarines FC vs Espoir

June 19Bugesera FC vs APR FCAmagaju FC vs AS Kigali

APR FC head coach Jimmy Mulisa has admitted that his team must win the Peace Cup in order to represent Rwanda in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup, adding that short of that will be ‘total failure’.

The eight-time winners will play against Bugesera FC in a two-legged quarter-final. The first leg will be played on June 19 while the second leg will be played four days later.

Mulisa said that he’s under pressure to make sure that APR don’t end the season empty-handed.

During the 2012/13 season Rayon Sports won the league while AS Kigali took the Peace Cup.

This season, Rayon Sports have already secured the league title and are still on course to retain the Peace Cup. They will face the 2015 winners Police FC in the last eight.

APR are third in the league, one point behind second-placed Police with one match remaining, and Mulisa knows that the only realistic route to playing on the continent next season is by winning the Peace Cup.

"This season has not gone as we wanted but that’s part of football, now having missed out on the league title, we must do everything possible to win the Peace Cup because we want to represent Rwanda in the CAF Confederation Cup. But first we have to give our best against Bugesera in the quarter-finals,” Mulisa said.

The former Rwanda international noted that, "Everyone needs to play their part to achieve our goal; our desire is to win the title, anything short of that will be total failure.”

AS Kigali, winners of this competition in 2013, will play away against Amagaju FC, while Espoir will be up against Marines FC. All matches will be played over two legs.

All semi-final matches will be played late June and the final on July 4. The eventual winners will represent Rwanda in the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup.

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