APR FC and Sudanese side Al Merrikh SC suffered surprise 1-0 defeats to Sunrise FC and Gicumbi FC respectively in friendly matches played on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
APR FC were beaten by Sunrise at Nyagatare District Stadium, popularly known as Gologota, after Ndikumana Arteta scored the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. The result is also independently reported in match-day updates.
Arteta, who recently joined Sunrise from Gicumbi FC, capitalised early to give the home side the lead. Sunrise, coached by Banamwana Camarade, held on to the advantage despite APR’s efforts to get back into the game.
APR coach Taleb Abderrahim initially fielded a largely rotated side, including third-choice goalkeeper Christian Mudahigwa. The lineup was similar to the one that started APR’s previous friendly against Etincelles FC, which APR won 2-1.
The champions later introduced several regular starters, including captain Djibril Ouattara and striker William Mel Togui, but could not find an equaliser.
The defeat marked APR’s first loss in a friendly during their current preparations and their second defeat of the season, following a 5-0 loss to Kenya’s Gor Mahia in the CECAFA Kagame Cup.
Meanwhile, Gicumbi FC produced another notable result by defeating Al Merrikh SC 1-0 at Gicumbi District Stadium. The result was also confirmed in match-day reporting.
Gicumbi, coached by Afhamia Lotfi, secured victory through Burundian striker Tuyisenge Jean Merveille, popularly known as Tammy, who scored in the first half.
Al Merrikh, coached by Darko Nović, failed to respond as Gicumbi protected its narrow lead until the final whistle.
The two results underline the competitive nature of the friendly matches being played by Rwandan clubs and visiting sides as teams fine-tune their squads ahead of the new campaign.
APR FC, the reigning Rwandan champions, are among the teams using the pre-season period to assess players and build match readiness before the 2026/27 season.
