Rayon Sports and APR FC have both booked their places in the 2026 Peace Cup final, setting the stage for another high-stakes edition of Rwanda’s most followed football rivalry.
Rayon Sports secured qualification earlier after eliminating Gorilla FC, while APR FC confirmed their place on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with a dominant 6–2 aggregate victory over Etincelles FC.
APR FC wrapped up the tie with a 3–1 win in the second leg, adding to their identical 3–1 victory in the first leg. In the decisive match, Mugisha Gilbert, Mmel Dao, and Djibril Ouattara were on target, while Etincelles FC’s lone goal came from Ciza Hussein.
The result once again sets up a familiar final between the country’s two most decorated clubs, whose encounters have repeatedly shaped Rwanda’s domestic football landscape.
The two sides last met in the Peace Cup final in 2025, when APR FC defeated Rayon Sports 2–0 at Amahoro Stadium. Rayon Sports’ most recent cup triumph over their rivals came in 2023, when they won 1–0 in Huye.
This year’s final comes at a decisive stage of the season, with APR FC closing in on the league title, while Rayon Sports is banking on the cup as its main chance of silverware.
The rivalry has often produced intense encounters, particularly at the renovated Amahoro Stadium, where Rayon Sports has struggled to record a win against APR FC in recent meetings.
Their most recent league meeting on May 2, 2026, ended in a 1–1 draw, reinforcing expectations of a tightly contested final.
