Rwandan international Salomon Nirisarike has completed a one-year move to Armenian Premier League giants FC Pyunik.

The 26-old defender, who is to link up with Amavubi in the Seychelles on Tuesday, has been plying his trade with AFC Tubize in Belgian second tier since 2016.

FC Pyunik, 14-time Armenia champions, are one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia, and hold a record of winning the country’s league title ten times in a row between 2001 and 2010.

Last month, Pyunik were denied by English Premier League side Wolverhampton a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League after suffering a heavy 8-0 loss over two legs in the third round.

Nirisarike who started his senior career with Loyal Antwerp in Belgium, in 2012, also made his international debut for Rwanda in 2012 and has since played 16 times for the national team.

The former Sec Academy star will be part of Vincent Mashami’s Amavubi that face the Pirates of Seychelles in the preliminary round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with the first-leg due this Thursday at the People’s Stadium in Seychelles, while the decider is scheduled for September 10 in Kigali.

The central defender is the first Rwandan to join FC Pyunik since the club’s establishment in 1992.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com