Round of 16 first leg Tuesday Intare 1-2 Rayon Sports Esperance 0-1 Rwamagana City Wednesday Marine vs Etincelles La Jeunesse vs Kiyovu Bugesera vs Musanze Ivoire Olympique vs APR Rutsiro vs Mukura Sunrise vs Police. Cross-town rivals Marines FC and Etincelles are one of the matches to watch as the 2022/23 Rwanda Peace Cup reaches the round of 16. The pair will be up against each other in a first leg clash taking place at Umuganda Stadium on Wednesday, March 1, as they push to progress to the quarter finals. Etincelles made it to the round of 16 after beating The Winners FC 5-0 while Marines booked the ticket after they knocked out Etoile de l' Est. ALSO READ: Etincelles: Another Rwanda Premier League dark horse? Games between the two teams have always been shaped by intensity and full of excitement. They have already met twice this season in the domestic league with Marines winning the first leg 3-0 whereas Etincelles won the return fixture 2-0. Both teams have contrasting fortunes in the league so far this season, Etincelles have been in fine form sitting seventh on the league table with 34 points from 21 games while Marines are 15th with 16 points. Just like local derbies elsewhere in the league and cup games, form does not really matter as any team is capable of carrying the day. Marines striker Arthur Gitego, who scored over the weekend in his side's 4-0 league win over Espoir, insists that they are brimming with confidence ahead of the Etincelles derby , despite a disappointing season in the league. ALSO READ: Gitego on his ambitions to ‘break every record’ in Amavubi shirt We are going to put in more effort to win against Etincelles. Beating Espoir in the league has given us hope. We are hungry to win and we know that Marines and Etincelles is always a derby no matter the current form, Gitego told Times Sport We are ready to survive both games. Marine is a big brand everywhere so we must deliver. Personally, I have known what it takes to beat Etincelles, he added. Etincelles forward Abdul Miniru, who was the top scorer of the competition last season at Bugesera FC with seven goals, is also looking forward to cementing the club’s superiority as the king of Rubavu derby. Derbies are always difficult and we are well prepared for Marines. We beat them in the league last month and we want to do the same in the Peace Cup, Muniru said in an interview. In all, it will be a game full of action and the team which utilizes their chances and remains resolute at the back will win.
