Top players and coaches line-up tonight to be feted in the Azam Rwanda Premier League awards ceremony.
The focus will be on the player of the year award where three players are lined-up to claim the trophy.
Rwanda Premier League champions, APR FC, dominate in this category with two players and the battle may just be between Muhadjiri Hakizimana and Djihab Bizimana.
The two have been influential in helping the army side in claiming the championship by scoring crucial goals between themselves.
It will be difficult for the judges to select the eventual winner between the two APR players, but Bizimana may get it having scored many of those goals for the team in the just concluded season.
The other contender for the award is AS Kigali’s Jean Claude Ndarusanze, who played key role in helping his team finish second in the standings.
Another battle is expected in the Best Coach Award category where Ljubomir Petrovic(APR), Christian Francis Haringingo (Mukura), and Emmanuel Ruremesha who – in August – joined Musanze after guiding Etincelles to a fourth place league finish.
The Revelation Coach of the Year candidates include; Ruremesha and Haringingo, who are joined by Police FC’s Zambian tactician Joel Albert Mphande.
During the 2018 Ferwafa football awards gala tonight, AS Kigali striker Ndarusanze will also be recognized with an award as last season’s top scorer.
A panel of the 16 Azam Rwanda Premier League club coaches and their captains and selected 16 journalists provided by Rwanda Sports Journalists Associations (AJSPOR) voted their nominees for each category.
From all the votes cast by each member of the voting panel per category, a five-man shortlist for each category has been determined. Based on the points tally, three finalists have been shortlisted for each category as you will find below.
The panel also made their choice of the team of the year and they will also be announced and recognized on the gala awards night.
The Rwanda Premier League annual awards ceremony was established in 2016 as a way of celebrating the top-performing footballers of the season as well as recognizing the most exceptional youngsters.
Full Nominations
Top Scorer, 2017/18 ARPL
Ndarusanze Jean Claude (AS Kigali)-15 Goals
Best Player
1. Bizimana Djihad (Former APR FC, Waasland-Beveren, Belgium)
2. Ndarusanze Jean Claude (AS Kigali)
3. Hakizimana Muhadjiri (APR FC)
Best Goalkeeper
1. Rwabugiri Omar (Mukura VS)
2. Kimenyi Yves (APR FC)
3. Bate Shamiru (AS Kigali)
Promising Player (U-21)
1. Buregeya Prince (APR FC)
2. Muhire Kevin (Rayon Sports FC)
3. Byiringiro Lague (APR FC)
Best Coach
1. Ljubomir Ljupko Petrovic (APR FC)
2. Haringingo Christian Francis (Mukura VS)
3. Ruremesha Emmanuel (Musanze FC)
Revelation Coach
1. Ruremesha Emmanuel (Musanze Fc)
2. Haringingo Christian Francis (Mukura VS)
3. Mphande Joel Albert (Police FC)
