2020–21 Rwanda Premier League
{{Infobox football league season
| image =
| competition = Rwanda Premier League
| season = 2020–21
| winners = APR
| promoted =
| relegated = Sunrise
AS Muhanga
| relegation =
| continentalcup1 = Champions League
| continentalcup1 qualifiers = APR
| continentalcup2 = Confederation Cup
| continentalcup2 qualifiers = AS Kigali
| league topscorer =
| biggest home win =
| biggest away win =
| highest scoring =
| matches =
| total goals =
| longest wins =
| longest unbeaten =
| longest winless =
| longest losses =
| prevseason = 2019–20
| nextseason = 2021–22
| updated =
}}
The 2020–21 Rwanda Premier League is the 44th season of the Rwanda Premier League, the top-tier football league in Rwanda. The season started on 4 December 2020 with all games taking place behind closed doors before being suspended on 12 December due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[http://www.rsssf.com/tablesr/rwan2021.html], RSSSF.com
While the season originally started with a full round robin format, due to the pandemic the league switched to four groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group qualifying to the champions round. APR won the title on goal difference over AS Kigali as both teams finished with 19 points out of a possible 21, with both teams drawing each other 1–1 on the second match day. Title celebrations were muted because of the pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports24ghana.com/apr-fc-crowned-champions-of-2020-21-rwanda-national-football-league/|title=APR FC crowned champions of 2020/21 Rwanda National Football League|date=27 June 2021}}
Five teams were at risk of the last relegation spot on the final day of the season. Muhanga lost every single game in the relegation group and were relegated with matches to spare. Sunrise lost 2–1 to Gorilla FC on the final match day to be the final team relegated.{{cite web|url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/187167/Sports/as-muhanga-sunrise-fc-relegated|title=AS Muhanga, Sunrise FC relegated|date=29 June 2021|publisher=New Times|last=Muhire|first=Léon-Pierre}}
Teams
A total of 16 teams competed in the 2020–21 season with the top team qualifying for the CAF Champions League, the runner-ups qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup and the bottom two relegated to the Rwandan Second Division.
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
- AS Kigali
- A.P.R.
- Bugesera
- Espoir
- Etincelles
- Gasogi United
- Gorilla
- Kiyovu Sports
- Marines
- Muhanga
- Mukura Victory
- Musanze
- Police
- Rayon Sports
- Rutsio
- Sunrise
{{div col end}}
League Changes
Rutsiro and Gorilla FC were promoted to the league after making the second division play-off final.{{cite web|url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/182184/Sports/football-is-back-how-will-the-2020-21-rwanda-premier-league-look-like|first=Eddie|last=Nsabiyama|title=Football is back: How will the 2020-21 Rwanda Premier League look like?|publisher=New Times}}
League table
=Championship Round=
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|name_APR=APR
|name_ASK=AS Kigali
|name_ESP=Espoir
|name_POL=Police
|name_MAR=Marines
|name_RUT=Rutsiro
|name_RAY=Rayon Sports
|name_BUG=Bugesera
|team1=APR |win_APR=6 |draw_APR=1 |loss_APR=0 |gf_APR=21 |ga_APR=1
|team2=ASK |win_ASK=6 |draw_ASK=1 |loss_ASK=0 |gf_ASK=14 |ga_ASK=2
|team3=ESP |win_ESP=3 |draw_ESP=1 |loss_ESP=3 |gf_ESP=9 |ga_ESP=11
|team4=POL |win_POL=2 |draw_POL=2 |loss_POL=3 |gf_POL=7 |ga_POL=11
|team5=MAR |win_MAR=2 |draw_MAR=1 |loss_MAR=4 |gf_MAR=5 |ga_MAR=12
|team6=RUT |win_RUT=1 |draw_RUT=3 |loss_RUT=3 |gf_RUT=5 |ga_RUT=12
|team7=RAY |win_RAY=1 |draw_RAY=2 |loss_RAY=4 |gf_RAY=7 |ga_RAY=12
|team8=BUG |win_BUG=1 |draw_BUG=1 |loss_BUG=5 |gf_BUG=5 |ga_BUG=12
|res_col_header=QR
|col_CCL=green1|text_CCL=Champions, Qualification to the 2021–22 CAF Champions League
|col_CCC=blue1|text_CCC=Qualification to the 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup
|result1=CCL|result2=CCC
|status_APR=C
|update=complete
|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
|source=[https://au.soccerway.com/national/rwanda/national-soccer-league/20202021/quarter-finals/r62687/ soccerway.com]
}}
=Relegation Round=
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|name_KIY=Kiyovu Sports
|name_GAS=Gasogi United
|name_ETI=Etincelles
|name_MUS=Musanze
|name_MUK=Mukura
|name_GOR=Gorilla
|name_SUN=Sunrise
|name_MUH=AS Muhanga
|team1=KIY |win_KIY=4 |draw_KIY=1 |loss_KIY=2 |gf_KIY=8 |ga_KIY=3
|team2=GAS |win_GAS=3 |draw_GAS=3 |loss_GAS=1 |gf_GAS=13 |ga_GAS=7
|team3=ETI |win_ETI=4 |draw_ETI=0 |loss_ETI=3 |gf_ETI=13 |ga_ETI=8
|team4=MUS |win_MUS=4 |draw_MUS=0 |loss_MUS=3 |gf_MUS=11 |ga_MUS=14
|team5=MUK |win_MUK=3 |draw_MUK=2 |loss_MUK=2 |gf_MUK=8 |ga_MUK=7
|team6=GOR |win_GOR=3 |draw_GOR=1 |loss_GOR=3 |gf_GOR=10 |ga_GOR=9
|team7=SUN |win_SUN=2 |draw_SUN=3 |loss_SUN=2 |gf_SUN=13 |ga_SUN=8
|team8=MUH |win_MUH=0 |draw_MUH=0 |loss_MUH=7 |gf_MUH=3 |ga_MUH=23
|res_col_header=QR
|col_REL=red1|text_REL=Relegated
|result7=REL|result8=REL
|status_SUN=R|status_MUH=R
|update=complete
|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
|source=[https://au.soccerway.com/national/rwanda/national-soccer-league/20202021/quarter-finals/r62687/ soccerway.com]
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Rwanda National Football League}}
{{Football in Rwanda}}
{{2020–21 in African football (CAF)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-21 Rwanda Premier League}}