Mukura coach delighted after storming Peace Cup semis
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Mukura VS players thank their supporters after stunning AS Kigali 2-1 during Peace Cup match at Kigali Stadium. Sam Ngendahimana.

Quarter-finals, second-leg

Thursday APR             Vs     Police

Monday Bugesera 1-0 Sunrise (1-2 Agg) Amagaju 0-0 Mukura (0-1 Agg)

Mukura head coach Francis Haringingo has expressed his delight after guiding the Southern Province-based league side to Peace Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

Mukura reached the last four after eliminating Amagaju 1-0 on aggregate score following the two sides’ goalless draw on Monday at Huye Stadium. Mukura had won the first-leg 1-0 at Nyagasenyi Stadium in Nyamagabe District.

"The players did exactly what I wanted and expected from them, we showed some good spirit today despite failure to maximise our chances today. Overall, we were the better side and no question we deserved to progress to the next round,” Haringingo said in a post-match interview.

The Burundian tactician added that, "We had studied their game well and their weak spots, credit to my players for delivering a great performance. Now the attention is turned to semi-finals, there no time to relax.”

Mukura will have to wait for the match between APR and Police on Thursday to know who they will play in the semi-finals next week as they bid to reach the first Peace Cup final in nine years.

Mukura have won the Peace Cup (formerly Rwandan Cup) four times, the last one having come 26 years ago, in 1992. They previously clinched the title in 1978, 1986 and 1990.

Elsewhere in quarter-finals on Monday, Bugesera beat Sunrise 1-0 but still bowed out of the country’s second biggest tournament as the latter had won the first-leg 2-0 last week.

The first-leg fixtures of semi-finals are scheduled for August 3-4 while the return-leg games are to be played on August 8-9. The final and third place playoff are set for August 12.

The 2018 Peace Cup winners will – along with league champions APR – will represent Rwanda in CAF competitions in 2019.

Should the military side win a Peace Cup and league double, AS Kigali will play in the 2019 CAF Confederation Cup as Azam Rwanda Premier League’s first runners-up.

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