Janvier Benedata, a former midfielder for APR FC, helped the citizens secure a 2-2 draw, thwarting APR from celebrating their fifth consecutive Rwanda Premier League title and their 22nd overall.
On April 15th, at Kigali Pelé Stadium, APR Football Club was eager to defeat AS Kigali and secure the Rwanda Premier League title four matches before the end of the season.
Their celebration at AS Kigali’s home venue was once again denied, this time by former APR players Fiston Ishimwe and Janvier Benedata, thwarting APR’s victory. Benedata scored a crucial goal in the dying minutes, forcing APR to postpone their celebration to another day.
The game began with a minute of silence to mourn the passing of APR’s fitness coach, Dr. Adel Zrane, who passed away earlier this month. Additionally, the moment of silence was observed to commemorate the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
This tribute occurred as Rwanda is in the midst of 100 days of commemoration activities.
Fiston Ishimwe scored to break the deadlock 12 minutes after kickoff, giving AS Kigali the lead. However, their advantage was short-lived as APR equalized just 2 minutes later, courtesy of Alain Bacca Kwitonda.
For the next 30 minutes of the first half, it was essentially AS Kigali versus Pavelh Ndzila. The Congolese international goalkeeper made numerous saves against Erisa Ssekisambu, Shaban Hussein, and Aimée Ntirushwa, effectively keeping the army side in the game. Thus, both teams went into break with the score level.
Seventeen minutes into the second half, Victor Mbaoma scored his 14th league goal, granting the defending champions the lead and igniting hopes among the fans. This goal positioned them to potentially celebrate their 22nd record league title at the conclusion of the game.
The army side maintained hope of celebration until the 90th minute, when a substitute and former APR midfielder dashed their hopes with a spectacular left-footed curved shot from outside the box. Benedata’s goal spoiled the festivities, as a win for APR would secure a 14-point lead over the second-ranked team, Rayon Sports, with four games remaining.
This wasn’t the first time AS Kigali thwarted APR’s trophy celebration. In 2022, under the guidance of André Casa Mbungo, AS Kigali defeated APR FC, prolonging the title race to the final day. At that time, APR was contending with Kiyovu Sports for the title.
APR will have to wait until Saturday when they face Kiyovu. Securing just a single point in that match will be sufficient to clinch the title, regardless of the outcome of Rayon Sports’ matches.
APR FC, currently undefeated in the 2023/2024 Rwanda Premier League, boast a record 21 league titles and are aiming for their fifth consecutive title.
