The Rwanda Premier League second round kicks off Friday, February 7, as the 16 teams embark on the next four months of action until the league closes in May. The teams took a one-month break on January 11 after the end the first round. Fans, stakeholders as well as the league body have all missed competitive action and are yearning for the second round which kicks off Thursday. The first round wasn't bad at all. This is actually one of the best in recent years with commendable standard of play as well as general quality though there is more room for improvement. It is a collective effort where football governing body (FERWAFA), Rwanda Premier League Board, the clubs themselves as well as the fans all have a major role to play to ensure that the second round goes according to plan. Times Sport takes a look at three key aspects that need to be improved in second round. League coverage It is an undeniable fact that the Rwanda Premier League doesn't have excessive coverage. The coverage of the league is very limited. Public broadcaster’s exclusive sports channel, Magic Sports, has been broadcasting a couple of matches live. But the fact that the channel is only accessed by Star Times subscribers, makes the level of consumption limited. This brings the euphoria of the league down because, in some cases, getting footage from some games is a problem. Again, it doesn't help in making a clear analysis of games, choosing deserving players for end of season awards considering that RBA doesn’t enough resources to give coverage of all games. It also deprives the clubs the chance of marketing their players as some of them do not get highlights of their games. The Premier League Board should endeavor to bring a host of media partners on board or give them coverage rights to ensure that the league grows its mainstream community. ALSO READ: Transfers: Byiringiro joins Police FC on 18-month deal Use of VAR The 2024/25 season of Rwanda Premier League can be deemed better this season compared to the previous years. However, there is still a room for improvement. Obviously, the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at Amahoro Stadium is good news even if it is used for the big league games scheduled to be played at the 45,000 seat facility. There have been cases where VAR could have intervened and changed the outcome. The 1000 Hills derby between APR and Rayon Sports on December 7 saw a key moment of the game being ignored by the referee when Aliou Souane handled the ball in his own penalty box when he was defending a cross. There were calls for a penalty but the ignored them to their dismay. VAR technology could have looked at the incident and, with its intervention, the penalty was likely to be awarded. VAR should be used to curb controversies in big games at Amahoro Stadium. Referees are humans and they are bound to make mistakes but being closer to action would help them to make concrete decisions even without VAR. ALSO READ: Gasogi releases Congolese forward-Baloukoulou after six months Stick to fixture schedules The second round of the 2024/25 Rwanda Premier League will be laced with Amavubi's 2026 World Cup qualifiers as well as the domestic Peace Cup games. The first round of the league saw the biggest game on the calendar between APR vs Rayon rescheduled twice before being finally played on December 7, 2024. Rescheduling games has been a norm in the Rwandan league and club officials and players have often voiced their frustration over such changes in fixture schedule. Rescheduling RPL games disrupts clubs plans, affects player recovery, technical preparations, finances, and fan engagement. Some clubs have to play 3 matches in 10 days. Some matches in midweek affect fan attendance at Stadium, Mukura Victory Sports boss Protais Musoni told Times Sport in November. The League Board should stick to the calendar issued for the second round to enhance the competition to go on smoothly.
