The local football governing body (Ferwafa) has announced this year’s Peace Cup will start on March 16, the first time the competition is organised in two years. 

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Rwandan government’s measures to curb its spread, Ferwafa skipped the 2020 and 2021 editions of the usually annual tournament – the second biggest football competition in the country. 

In an interview, Henry Muhire, the football federation’s Secretary General, revealed that the first seven teams of the 2019 edition will not take part in the preliminary round this year. The teams are AS Kigali, SC Kiyovu, APR, Rayon Sports, Police, Sunrise and Mukura.

"We sat down with teams and decided that the Peace Cup will begin next week, so this weekend we will have the league as usual,” Muhire told this publication on Thursday.

AS Kigali are title holders, which they lifted in 2019 after edging SC Kiyovu 2-1 in the final.

The winner of the Peace Cup automatically secured a ticket to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Participating teams:

Topflight league: AS Kigali, SC Kiyovu, APR, Rayon Sports, Police, Mukura, Bugesera, Espoir, Etincelles, Etoile de l’Est, Gasogi United, Gicumbi, Gorilla, Marines, Musanze, and Rutsiro.

Second division: Sunrise, Amagaju, Heroes, Impeesa, Intare, Interforce, Nyanza and University of Rwanda.