The Republican Guard (RG) successfully defended the 2026 Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Liberation Cup, cruising to a commanding 3-0 victory over Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) Nasho in the football final played at Kigali Pelé Stadium on Saturday. The final was attended by senior government and military officials, including the Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, Minister of State for Sports, Rwego Ngarambe, and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Mubarakh Muganga, among others. ALSO READ: Republican Guard edge 3 Infantry Division to retain Liberation Cup RG made a flying start, taking the lead in the sixth minute through striker Mike Shema after the BMTC Nasho goalkeeper failed to deal with a loose ball, allowing the forward to pounce on the defensive error. The defending champions doubled their advantage just seven minutes later after Claude Ishimwe was brought down inside the penalty area. Shema stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick to score his second goal of the match. ALSO READ: Republican Guard edge Special Operations Force to win RDF Inter-Force title Despite falling two goals behind, BMTC Nasho responded with improved possession and attacking intent through the efforts of Fabrice Kayiranga, Kelly Ishimwe, and Eric Nduwayezu. However, they were unable to break down a well-organised RG defence as the holders went into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead. BMTC Nasho returned for the second half determined to stage a comeback, but RG remained dangerous on the counterattack. Their third goal came from a well-executed corner, with Ishimwe delivering a precise cross into the box for Shema to head home and complete his hat-trick, putting the result beyond doubt. The victory secured RG's fifth consecutive Liberation Cup title, having also won the competition in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Earlier in the day, Military Health Services (MHS) claimed the women's Liberation Cup after defeating Military Police 2-1 in the final.
