Rwandan Premier League set to be played in four groups

Due to long halts because of COVID-19 pandemic, Rwanda’s Football Federation (FERWAFA) decided to play the Rwandan Premier League in the form of a group stage instead of the usual round-robin league.

According to FERWAFA spokesperson Jules Karangwa, a four-group format is adopted, pending the go-ahead from the government.

Each group will be made up of four teams who would meet each other home and away, before going on to the knockout stages to determine league champions.

The teams that will reach the final will represent Rwanda in the 2021/22 Total CAF Champions League and Total CAF Confederation Cup.

Karangwa said that depending on the approval, the league might be played between four to six weeks.

“We have come up with the idea of grouping teams so that we can finish the league before June, as we want to go with CAF calendar for the coming season,” he added.

The league will kick off on April 15th. The teams will be playing home and away, and the top two teams will proceed to the quarterfinals.

The last time this format was applied in 1993, where Kiyovu Sports won the title after beating Mukura Victory Sports 3-0 in the final.

The same format occurred in the 1989/1990 season when Kiyovu Sports won the trophy by beating Panthères Noirs 2-1.

In December, the league was canceled on its third day, with four matches already postponed due to COVID-19.