Football is back: How will the 2020-21 Rwanda Premier League look like?

Match-day 1 fixtures: Friday (all at 3pm) Muhanga Vs Etincelles Mukura Vs Kiyovu Sunrise Vs Gasogi Espoir Vs Bugesera Marine Vs Gorilla Rutsiro Vs Rayon The Rwanda Premier League new season starts this Friday, December 4, with the final round of matches scheduled for July 10, 2021. After suspending the 2019-20 league season in March before it was prematurely ended in May, the championship is back but it will not football as we know it. Until otherwise, all matches will be played behind closed doors. Nonetheless, the clubs have been preparing for the new campaign since October after the government gave permission for the resumption of team sports after over seven months of suspension to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a prevailing pandemic and the challenges that came along, this season could produce one of the toughest title races in a long time after many teams spent big on acquiring new players and shuffling coaches over the last six months. Weekend Sport looks at five talking points as football returns: Will APR dominate again? Adil Erradi’s side won the league title unbeaten last season but that did not stop the champions from beefing up their squad ahead of the new season, particularly because they are also representing the country in the Caf Champions League. The army side will likely face a tough run from major rivals but they remain the favourites following the arrival of striking duo of Jacques Tuyisenge from Angola’s Petro Atletico and Yannick Bizimana who was signed from Rayon Sports. APR were due to begin their title defence against Musanze but the match has been postponed as the white-and-black side are in Kenya for their Champions League return-leg clash against Gor Mahia in the preliminary round. APR won the first-leg 2-1 in Kigali last Saturday. Could Kiyovu finally end their 27-year jinx? The Green Baggies did not only sign a football legend – Olivier Karekezi – as their new head coach, but they were also arguably the busiest club on transfer market. It could be too early to designate them as Rwanda’s Liverpool but they are definitely one of the teams to watch. Their new-look squad boosts big names like goalkeeper Yves Kimenyi, left-back Eric Irambona, Nigerian striker Samsom Babua and two Burundi internationals Omar Ngandu and Abed Bigirimana to name a few. From a new executive committee to new technical bench and new recruitment policy, a lot has changed at the Mumena-based outfit as they launch yet another campaign for their first league title since 1993. Karekezi knows what it takes to win the league title – he won many with APR as a player, but he faces a different task; delivering the very silverware as coach. After coughing out millions in transfers, one would expect SC Kiyovu to at least do better than the fifth position they finished in last season. After a summer of scandals, does Rayon stand a chance? The crisis, a scandal after another, at the Blues dominated headlines in local media, which led to the intervention of Rwanda Governance Board and the stepping down of the entire executive committee – led by Sadate Munyakazi – in September. It was reported that Munyakazi and his committee only left Rwf200,000 on the club’s bank account and an outstanding debt of over Rwf800 million. In October, a new leadership team was installed, with Jean-Fidele Uwayezu elected as the new President. However, Rayon Sports financial status is still fragile and have opted to largely rely on youngsters from their academy as few transfers were completed. Goalkeeper Olivier Kwizera, who joined the nine-time champions from Gasogi United, will probably be their biggest asset this season. The club, however, also acquired DR Congolese Manasse Matatu and Nigerian forward Sunday Jimoh Oni. It will take on-pitch results for loyal Rayon fans to move past off-pitch managerial mishaps. How ready are the newcomers? Gorilla FC and Rutsiro earned promotion to the topflight league late last month after reaching the final of the second division playoffs. Having joined the transfer market very late, the two teams will hardly get quality players. Gorilla FC president, Hadji Mudaheranwa, for instance, told Weekend Sport in a recent interview that his club was struggling to get good players on the market, noting that top division clubs had an advantage of making early transfers ahead of newly-promoted sides. The same issue was voiced by Rutsiro FC president, Jean Damascene Nsanzimfura, lamenting that the team will have no choice but to rely on available players. How to follow premier league games? To contain the spread of coronavirus, all league matches will be played behind closed doors until further notice. Football fans will, however, be able to catch the games live on KC2, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA)’s entertainment channel, after the national broadcaster inked a three year deal with the football governing body (FERWAFA) last month.