Monday, April 15
AS Kigali vs APR FC, at Kigali Pele Stadium
Kickoff: 6PM
Runaway Primus National League leaders APR FC are a win away from adding the 2023/24 title in their trophy cabinet when they visit rivals AS Kigali at Kigali Pele Stadium on Monday.
Coach Thierry Froger and his charges are preparing for a title at parade at Kigali Pele Stadium on Monday as his side hopes celebrate their fifth consecutive title and the 22nd overall since club’s inception in 1995.
He is, however, aware that his side is playing a tough opponent capable of putting the title celebrations on hold considering that the Citizens have been giving the club’s bogey side over the past half-decade.
The game was supposed to take place on April 5 only to be rescheduled after APR requested the game to be moved to a later date for players and staff to mourn their fitness coach Adel Zrane who succumbed to a heart attack on April 2.
Games between the two sides have always been keenly contested and this encounter promises to live up to expectations.
Despite APR dominating the local scene in the past five years, AS Kigali have always been their nightmare. The Citizens have the upper hand in their previous 15 meetings with the army side, registering four wins against APR’s three while the pair have drawn eight times.
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The last time APR defeated AS Kigali in the league was on December 23, 2018 when they won 3-0. They now want to make their title party meaningful by beating Guy Bukasa’s side and break their six years’ winless jinx.
AS Kigali, on the other hand, succumbed to APR in the 2023/24 Peace Cup knockout stage and they will be aiming to make amends by getting a win ahead of the pair’s crunch tie.
AS Kigali have been enjoying an impressive run in the league since the arrival of Congolese coach Bukasa and the return of star striker Shaban Hussein from Al Ta’won in Libya in February.
The Burundian forward has been impressive in the second round of the league campaign with some breathtaking performances and he will hoping to do the same against APR.
The Citizens midfield has also been superb with the likes of Rafael Osaluwe Oliseh who has been in magnificent form. With the support attacking partner Felix Kone, Tshabalala can give any defense a nightmare.
Bukasa’s defense has, however, been looking shaky sometimes, and skipper Latif Bishira and Jean Bosco Akayezu must hold their fort at the back to stop the rampaging APR attack led by Victor Mbaoma and Sharaf Shaiboub if they are to earn the result.
APR have both eyes on the title considering that they were aliminated in other domestic competitions, having lost the Heroes’ Cup to Police FC before being dumped out of the Peace Cup at the hands of Gasogi in February.
Froger will at least be satisfied to win the league unbeaten and he must get rid of AS Kigali to maintain that run.
APR sit top of the table with 59 points whereas AS Kigali are seventh with 37 points. A win for AS Kigali would see them climb to 5th place.
The game promises to be an exciting and entertaining one and only a better side will win.