The 2022/23 Rwanda Premier League turns out to be a four-horse title race with table leaders Rayon Sports now going through under increasing pressure from the likes of AS Kigali, APR FC and Kiyovu Sports.
The 2021/22 Rwanda Premier League title race went down in history as the most competitive campaign over the years with the title race being decided on the final day of the competition when APR pipped Kiyovu Sports by just a point to be crowned as champions.
The current season is already taking shape, with just two match days to end the first round of the league.
Rayon had a bright start to the season but have had their lead cut by a single point before they face arch rivals APR FC.
While AS Kigali are firmly on their heels and a victory on Saturday could also see APR’s hopes for yet another league title back on track as they settle for lie without Moroccan coach Adil Mohammed Erradi who left the club in October.
The club is waiting on their wings as a win over Gorilla on Friday could see them move at the top of the table 24 hours before the Rayon-APR derby.
The city of Kigali-sponsored club has been impressive so far this season and has consistently been challenging for the title over the past three seasons.
While the club has never won the league title since its establishment in 2003, with the squad that he currently has at his disposal, club coach Andre Casa Mbungo believes it’s ‘now or never’ for him to hand the club the first league title and hence stand a chance to play CAF Champions League football.
And don’t write off Kiyovu Sports!
The club may be going through ups and downs, which saw head coach Alain-André Landeut reassigned as Sporting Manager due to the fact that the club’s hierarchy was not happy with his performance but there is hope to bounce back and come back to the title race.
It's a four-horse race!
Table leaders Rayon Sports (28), AS Kigali (27), APR and Kiyovu (24) are separated by just four points with two games to the end of the first round of the league and this league not any of the quartet guaranteed to lead the race for at least two match days.
Rayon last won the league title during the 2018/2019 season under Brazilian tactician Roberto Oliveira Goncalves. The Blues have failed to glitter since then but the appointment of Francis Harigingo has given them a glimmer of hope. They are on top of the table no matter what results in their future fixtures will be.
APR FC are defending the title for the fourth time but they have not been all that convincing this season despite their big pedigree. The army side sits third on the table with 24 points from 13 games.
The club is rich in talent capable of turning the table around ahead of the second round of the league campaign and it won't be surprising to see them win the trophy for the fourth consecutive time.
And what if Kiyovu Sports breaks through and pip rivals to win the race.
The Green Baggies are fourth on the table with 24 points and behind third-placed APR FC on goal difference.
Some thought losing the qualities of talisman Emmanuel Arnold Okwi put Kiyovu in no position to contend for the title but the club has shown that it still has the players that can make Kiyovu a team to beat this season.
It is evident that the ongoing 2022/23 season could go down to the last day of the competition in relation to who wins the title with four clubs in the fray.
Rayon Sports is in its nature impatient to go three years without a league title, AS Kigali hopes to lift their first league title ever, Kiyovu Sports are also determined to end their thirty-year trophy drought and APR only wants to keeps their dominance of Rwandan football, only time will decide who will be crowned 2022/23 Rwanda Premier League champions.