APR midfielder Taddeo Lwanga has his eyes set on registering his first ever win over Rayon Sports when the two fierce rivals lock horns in Saturday’s derby at Kigali Pele Stadium.

A narrow 1-0 win over Etoile de l’Est on Tuesday, March 5, through Elia Kategeya’s lone goal in the 21st minute left APR comfortably seated at the top of the 16-team log with 55 points, 10 points clear of second-placed Rayon Sports who are on 45 points after 23 league games.

While winning the league title for the sixth time in a row remains a collective priority, a win over the Blues on Saturday, March 9, would be something else for Lwanga who has never won against Rayon since his arrival at APR FC in July, having lost 3-0 in the Super Cup in August 2023 before drawing 0-0 in the first round of the league in October.

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The Uganda international urged his players to take the match seriously even if his team has a big point gap at the top as both sides look to renew their rivalry ahead of the ‘Rwandan classico’ which always produces all sorts of entertainment and talking points on and off the field.

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"We have prepared well for this important game and our mission will be securing bragging rights over Rayon Sports. It’s the biggest and most important match for us and, since we are aiming to defend the title, we need to win this encounter,” Lwanga said.

"It is a special match for me because I want to win the derby,” he added.

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Visiting APR FC are sailing smoothly having won 16 matches and drawing seven and they will be aiming for a win over Julien Mette’s side as they aim to retain the league title for a fight straight time.

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"We (players) are well motivated and ready to win this crucial game. We want to win this game against Rayon and a victory will boost our campaign of winning the league title early. We are poised for maximum points. We will do everything to win the game,” the Ugandan midfielder said.

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Meanwhile, Rayon have 45 points collected from 13 victories, six defeats and four draws. The team will be aiming to not only end the military side’s unbeaten run but to also close the gap to within seven points as they push to keep their title hopes alive with six fixtures remaining.