Rwanda: Al Hilal and Al Merreikh drop points; APR win

The highly anticipated debut of Sudanese giants Al Hilal and Al Merreikh took place this week in the Rwanda Premier League while reigning champions APR FC marched to victory.

APR, champions of the last six editions, are behind the pace of current leaders Police FC but the Army club was able to overcome a halftime deficit to defeat Marines FC 2-1 on Tuesday.

A spectacular strike from distance in the first half gave Marines the lead but the defending champions responded with a better performance after the interval. Ugandan international Denis Omedi leveled the match from an assist by Djibril Ouattara before an own goal in stoppage time confirmed three points for Intare.

The big news over the past week is the introduction of Sudan’s two biggest clubs to the competition, Al Hilal Omdurman and Al Merreikh. The two rivals, who took part in Mauritania’s Super D1 last season due to the ongoing war in Sudan, were approved to begin play this week in the Rwanda Premier League.

Al Merreikh played two matches this week, winning their league debut against Kiyovu Sports by a 2-1 score on Monday before falling to a 0-1 defeat on Thursday against Bugesera FC (highlights below).

For Al Hilal, their debut came at a difficult moment for the club who are in the midst of a busy schedule while also dealing with international call-ups. Over eight Hilal players were in action for the Sudan national team in qualifying for the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup as the club played to a 0-0 draw with leaders Police FC on Wednesday.

The league will continue over the weekend with top local clubs APR as well as Rayon Sports in action. The Army club will face AS Kigali on Friday before Rayon Sports clash with Gicumbi FC on Saturday. Al Merreikh return to action on Sunday against Gorilla FC and Al Hilal will have time off to attend to their duties in the CAF Champions League against FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo on Sunday in DR Congo.

Rwanda Premier League Table