Saturday

APR            0-1        AS Kigali

Etincelles    0-2        Rayon

AS Kigali coach Djuma Masudi has set his sights on winning the Heroes Cup title after his side upset APR 1-0 in the tournament’s opening match at Kigali Stadium on Saturday.

The lone goal was scored in the 29th minute by Ibrahim Nshimiyimana.

The Burundian tactician is keen on making up for the disappointing 2017-18 season in which As Kigali went trophy-less despite heavily investing in the transfer market.

"We are targeting the title as a way of making up for last season, and the slow start we have had this term. The players are in great form, and the atmosphere in the team is excellent,” said Masudi.

This year’s edition of the annual tournament is contested between holders Rayon Sports, APR, AS Kigali and Etincelles.

"We will go into the second game looking for nothing less than a win, we want to win all the three games in the tournament. I have rallied my men to shift focus to the next challenge [against Rayon Sports] with a positive attitude and winning mentality,” Masudi added.

After Saturday’s fixtures, Etincelles will be up against APR on Tuesday, while Rayon Sports will take on AS Kigali later in the day. Both games will be played at Kigali Stadium.

The final day of the tournament will coincide with the eventual National Heroes Day, February 1, where AS Kigali will wrap up their campaign with Etincelles, a game that will precede the country’s biggest football clash – between rivals Rayon Sports and APR.

The tournament winners will pocket Rwf4 million besides winning the trophy, twice the cash prize for first runners-up. The second runners-up and bottom side will walk away with Rwf1.5 million and Rwf1 million, respectively.

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