Major highlights that shaped 2022/23 Rwanda Premier League season

The just-concluded 2022/23 topflight league season was full of action both on and off the pitch. It will be a season to remember as APR beat Kiyovu to the final sprint of the title race to be crown champions on goal difference despite the pair finishing the campaign tied on 63 points. Times Sport takes a look at some of the highlights that shaped the Primus-backed season. Rayon end APR’s four-year derby dominance Rayon Sports had not beaten traditional rivals APR in the league since April 20, 2019 when a late penalty from Michael Sarpong settled the encounter. The military side had dominated the derbies and went seven league games unbeaten until the Blues broke the jinx on February 12, 2023 when Eric Ngendahimana netted the only goal of the game. Referee controversies Champions APR FC on many occasions accused referees that they did not want the club to win the title due to what was ‘bad refereeing’ against the team. It got to the point where some members of their technical team nearly took the law into their own hands. Club head coach Ben Moussa and his assistant Eddine Neffati were, for instance, engulfed in a heated row with assistant referee Nsoro Ruzindana while protesting his refereeing decisions in a game against Gasogi on April 15 which ended goalless. Neffati became furious, removed his shirt and hit it on the ground. He received a red card for his angry reaction and was given a one-match suspension. Etincelles' historical unbeaten run Etincelles went unbeaten in nine games stretching three months. After the derby defeat to Marines FC on November 12, 2022, they were on fire, drawing three times and winning six games before APR beat them 4-2 on February 19, 3023 to end their impressive form. The three month-winning streak is the highest in the club's history. Espoir relegated after 12 years Just two seasons ago, Espoir was a force to reckon with as coach Moussa Gatera had built a pool of talented players. That side defeated Rayon Sports home and away. Espoir could not keep Sadick Sulley, Victor Murdah who left the club to Bugesera FC and Gorilla FC respectively. The Rusizi-based side went through a terribly poor season, picking up only 17 points from 30 league games. They were hence relegated after 12 years in the Premier League. Adil Mohammed's suspension APR in October 2022 handed Moroccan coach Adil Mohammed Erradi and skipper Djabel Manishimwe a one-month disciplinary suspension each for misconduct. The pair got embroiled in a public impasse with Adil stating that he does not see Manishimwe as his captain. It eventually got messy with counter accusations. They were both banned as a result of their altercations. But the club’s decision didn’t go well with the coach who claimed that ‘a football coach is either at work or is not at work anymore’. He left for his home country and never returned despite the club’s efforts to lure him back to his duties. His lawyers sued the military side to the world football governing body (FIFA)for sacking him in a way that, he claimed, was against the law. But FIFA rejected his claim. Kiyovu falter again at the last hurdle Just as it happened last season,Kiyovu bottled it up once more with just a game to end the season. The Green Baggies needed just a point from Nyagatare against Sunrise in order to get closer to their dreams of winning the league trophy for the first time since 1993. Absolutely nothing went well for the Mumena-based side on the day as they lost 1-0 in Nyagatare. They were outplayed and even missed a penalty through Erisa Ssekisambu who had been one of their star players this season. Kiyovu and APR both won their last league game and finished the league campaign with 63 points each but the latter won the trophy on a superior goal difference. Match fixing in Gasogi The Rwandan Premier League is strictly not on any betting website operating in the country as, over the past years, clubs have been accused of fishy results getting to the end of the season. Gasogi boss Charles Nkuriza Kakooza, popularly known as (KNC) who has always courted controversies came out publicly that, after the club lost 2-0 to Marines FC, some of his players are into match fixing and he was going to sack them. He emphasized that the same players gifted goals in the 5-1 defeat to Etincelles and later against Marines. No team or player has been caught in match fixing but suspicion of the trend in the Rwandan league continues to persist.