APR FC and AS Kigali Are Celebrating! What About the New Players in the League?

From February 6 to February 9, 2025, the league games for Matchday 16 were played in Rwanda, marking the start of the second round of the championship. These matches were highly anticipated as they would determine which team would win the title and which teams would be relegated to the second division, making way for the two best teams from the lower tier to be promoted.

Fans were also eager to see how the new signings would perform since clubs had significantly strengthened their squads before the second round began.

APR FC fans were looking forward to seeing their new players in league action, although they had already seen glimpses of their talent during the Heroes Cup. The most anticipated players in APR FC were two Ugandans, Denis Omedi and Hakim Kiwanuka, along with Burkinabé player Djibril Ouattra.

In the match between APR FC and Kiyovu Sports, Ugandan forward Denis Omedi proved why the club was right to sign him by scoring two goals, securing a 2-1 victory for APR FC. While Omedi scored both goals for APR FC, Kiyovu Sports’ lone goal came from Niyo David.

In the three matches he has played for APR FC, Denis Omedi has already scored three goals. Apart from his two goals against Kiyovu Sports, he also converted a penalty in APR FC’s 2-0 victory over AS Kigali in the Heroes Cup. However, he did not score in APR FC’s game against Police FC in the same tournament.

Besides Omedi, APR FC’s other foreign signings, Hakim Kiwanuka from Uganda and Cheik Djibril Ouattra from Burkina Faso, also featured against Kiyovu Sports and delivered solid performances, even though they did not score.

AS Kigali also had reasons to celebrate as they secured three points on Matchday 16 by defeating Bugesera FC 1-0. Their new midfielder, Haruna Niyonzima, was instrumental in this victory. Haruna joined AS Kigali after parting ways with Rayon Sports.

While APR FC and AS Kigali enjoyed success, Rayon Sports and Police FC struggled to claim three points, meaning their new signings did not make an immediate impact.

Police FC’s only major signing, Byiringiro Lague, is yet to score for the team. Rayon Sports’ new signings, including Abdoulai Jalo, Souleymane Daffe, Assana Nah Innocent, and Biramahire Abedy, also failed to make an immediate impact.

Rayon Sports drew 2-2 against Musanze FC, with both of their goals scored by Fall Ngagne. New signings Biramahire Abedy and Abdoulai Jalo were given playing time, but Biramahire made a costly foul that resulted in a free kick, leading to Musanze FC’s equalizing goal.

APR FC and AS Kigali’s victories, along with Rayon Sports and Police FC’s dropped points, led to some shifts in the league standings, although Rayon Sports remains at the top.

Before Matchday 16, Rayon Sports had a five-point lead over APR FC. However, after drawing their match, their lead shrank to just three points. AS Kigali’s victory over Bugesera FC kept them in third place with 29 points.

Police FC, after drawing 0-0 with Rutsiro FC, dropped from fourth to fifth place with 24 points, allowing Gorilla FC to take the fourth spot with 26 points.

Meanwhile, Kiyovu Sports’ chances of remaining in the top division continue to dwindle after their defeat to APR FC. They remain at the bottom of the table with 12 points and a goal difference of -17.

Vision FC also dropped to 15th place in the relegation zone after losing to Gorilla FC. They have 12 points and a goal difference of -8.

While other teams enjoyed the impact of their new signings, Rayon Sports settled for a draw against Musanze, with none of its new recruits stepping up to rescue the team

Haruna Niyonzima helped AS Kigali secure three points

Denis Omedi helped APR FC secure three points against Kiyovu Sports

Byiringiro Lague was among the players who had not yet delivered joy for Police FC