Monday, December 15 Al Hilal SC 1-2 Rutsiro FC An early red card to winger Jean Claude Girumugisha proved costly for Al Hilal SC, whose unbeaten run in the Rwanda Premier League came to an end after a shock 2–1 defeat to Rutsiro FC at Kigali Pelé Stadium on Monday. The Burundian winger was first booked for a foul on a Rutsiro opponent in the buildup before referee Abdul Twagirumukiza showed him a second yellow card in the 31st minute for protesting the initial decision. By that time, Rutsiro were already in front, courtesy of a stunning free kick from left-back Jean Kabula, who curled the ball into the top-right corner to open the scoring in the 26th minute. It proved to be a game of two halves, with Rutsiro dominating the opening 45 minutes. Al Hilal, however, returned with renewed intensity after the break and it was rewarded in the 60th minute when El Hadji Kane found the equaliser. Despite the pressure from the Sudanese giants, it was Rutsiro FC who had the final say. Amza Nkubito struck the decisive goal in the 82nd minute, sealing all three points for the visitors. The victory marked Rutsiro’s third win of the season, ended Al Hilal’s four-match unbeaten streak, and was their first league win since the appointment of new head coach Gustave Niyonkuru on Sunday. Elsewhere, Darko Novic’s Al-Merrikh continued their fine run of form with a 1–0 victory over Amagaju FC at Kigali Pelé Stadium on Sunday. Aboubacar Bashir Bangoura scored the only goal of the match in the fifth minute, lifting Al-Merrikh to ninth place on the table with 15 points. With five games in hand, victories in those fixtures could see the Sudanese side leapfrog Police FC at the top of the standings.
