Rwamagana City have secured a ticket back to the Rwanda Premier League after spending six seasons in the second division, since 2016. The Eastern Province outfit earned their promotion from the lower tier on Sunday after thumping Interforce 4-1 over two legs in the playoff semi-finals. The achievement, however, is even more significant for the former topflight side after they survived a dramatic disqualification from the playoffs, after they were accused of allegedly fielding a suspended player – forward Joshua Mbanza – against AS Muhanga in quarter-finals. Rwamagana beat Interforce 2-1 in the return leg at Nyamata Stadium, in Bugesera, adding to a 2-0 victory from the first leg earlier in the week. Courtesy of the comfortable double over Interforce in semis, Rwamagana will now face Sunrise in the final on Tuesday, June 28, in what promises to be an interesting Eastern Province derby. Sunrise, based in Nyagatare District, were relegated to the second division at the end of the 2020/21 campaign after nearly a decade in the first division championship.
