SC Kiyovu head coach Olivier Karekezi has admitted that his side are hungry titles as they look to end a 27-year wait for their domestic league title. The Rwanda Premier League rebranded to Primus National League last month after local brewer Bralirwa came on board as the championship’s major sponsor on a four-year deal. Kiyovu have not won the topflight league silverware since 1993. Under the newly announced format of group stages, the usually nine-month league has been compressed to under two months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The competition will start on May 1 and end on June 29. Former champions Kiyovu have been drawn against bitter rivals Rayon Sports in Group B, alongside lowly Gasogi United and newcomers Rutsiro FC. Karekezi, who is into his first season with the Mumena-based outfit, has warned that his target is to guide Kiyovu into the quarter-finals as group leaders and go all the way to the title match. “We are hungry to win the league title and we will give it our best to end the long wait,” he told Weekend Sport on Wednesday. We are capable, but, we must as well be in good shape mentally and be resilient against top teams.” Before the horrendous events of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, SC Kiyovu were the most successful football in the country having won six league titles and four in the previous ten years. Karekezi, a former captain of the national team, further noted, “We are trying to make sure that we have the strongest team available before the start of the matches. Our philosophy is simple; focusing on one game at a time.” Other groups The 16 teams that make the Primus National League have been placed under four groups of four. After round-robin matches, the top two in each group will advance to the knockout stages – starting with the quarter-finals. The two teams that will reach the final, will automatically earn a ticket to represent Rwanda in the 2021/22 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. Group A: APR, AS Muhanga, Bugesera and Gorilla FC Group C: AS Kigali, Police, Musanze and Etincelles Group D: Mukura, Sunrise, Marines and Espoir
