Review: 2022/23 Primus National League in numbers
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
APR FC players and coaching staff celebrate the title as they are crown Primus National League Champions on Sunday, May 28. Photo by Craish BAHIZI

Just as it happened in the 2021/22 season, this season went down to the wire with APR eventually winning the title for the fourth consecutive time.

It was a great nine-months of football action with numerous ups and downs, fascinating scenes, quality football, brawls, controversies and others which all spiced up the season.

Times Sport brings to you a review of the season in numbers.

571 goals scored

In a total of 480 games played in the season, 571 goals were scored which is an improvement of the 510 goals scored during the 2021/22 season.

Leandre Onana of Rayon Sports emerged as the league top scorer with 16 goals and was the top scorer, two goals ahead of Sunrise FC's Yafesi Mubiru and Shabani Hussein of AS Kigali who finished with 14 goals each.

Among the three top scorers, only Mubiru scored all his goals from open play.

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Espoir scored the least (17)

Espoir netted 17 goals in 30 league games throughout the season which was the lowest in the league. The Rusizi-based side ultimately finished bottom of the league table and were eventually relegated to the second division.

Their top scorer was Samson Ikechukwu who scored four goals.

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Least number of wins (4)

Espoir also recorded just four victories throughout the campaign which is the lowest in the season.

Most goals conceded (49)

Espoir were poor in all aspects as nothing went on well for them. They conceded 49 goals which was the most by a team this season.

Most games drawn (10)

Gasogi could have finished in the top four if not for their many draws.

They drew as many as 10 games, the highest in the league as they ended up at the 8th position with 43 points. At least five wins from the games they drew could have secured them a top four spot.

Fewest goals conceded (22)

AS Kigali let in just 22 goals in 30 games which was very impressive. Their goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari was superb throughout the campaign and eventually earned an Amavubi call up.

Most goals scored (52)

APR netted 52 goals making them the top scoring team in the league this season.

Ironically, no APR player was able to net more than 10 league goals just as it happened last season. Their top scorer this 2022/23 season was Yannick Bizimana who netted 10.

Three Hat tricks

There were three hat tricks during the season. Jean Claude Nizeyimana scored a hat trick for relegated side Rutsiro during their 5-1 victory over Gorilla FC on April 30.

Innocent Nshuti also bagged three goals to help APR trash Rwamagana 4-1 on May 21 while Yafesi Mubiru also scored a hat trick during Sunrise 5-2 victory over Rwamagana City in Nyagatare on December 22.

Most goals scored by an attacking duo (21)

Despite Sunrise FC battling and eventually getting out of the drop zone in the penultimate league game against Kiyovu, their attacking pair of Yafesi Mubiru and Samson Babua were on fire.

They netted a combined 21 goals which was second to only Onana and Musa Esenu who scored 24 between them.

5 teams led the table

By the end of the first round, AS Kigali were on top of the league but faded out in the second round. Gasogi, Rayon and Kiyovu all had stints at the top before APR snatched it from the hands of the Green Baggies.

Kiyovu slipped in Nyagatare and APR capitalized on it and eventually won the title on goal difference after the pair finished the season tied on 63 points.