Rwandan Premier League to welcomes Sudanese teams — But can they crown the Title?

After three of Sudan’s top football clubs applied to join the Rwandan Premier League (RPL), there's growing curiosity about what would happen if one of them were to win the championship.

The clubs — Al Hilal Omdurman and Al Ahli SC Wad Madani, which submitted their requests last week, along with Al-Merrikh, which submitted its request on Monday — have formally requested to participate in Rwanda’s top-flight football league.

Their interest has been welcomed by Rwandan football fans, many of whom believe their participation would raise the level of competition and elevate the overall standard of football in the country.

Currently, the final decision lies with the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) and the Rwanda Premier League organizers.

Sources told that the first two clubs’ applications were already being seriously considered, and the league calendar had even been adjusted in anticipation.

However, with a third club now expressing interest, another meeting is scheduled this week to determine whether all three can be accommodated or only two.

In an interview with IGIHE, Richard Mugisha — the Acting Secretary General and FERWAFA's Second Vice President — said that while accepting such clubs is a positive step, there’s still a need to align their inclusion with existing rules, especially since the season has already reached Matchday 4.

“These are ongoing discussions between us and the Rwanda Premier League to see if it’s possible because the season has already started. We are the ones who set the regulations and guidelines, and changes can be made. A decision will be made soon,” he said.

• What happens if a Sudanese team wins the Rwandan League?

Approval for these Sudanese teams appears to be only a matter of time, as they have shown readiness to contribute financially and logistically to the league.

If included in the fixture calendar, the number of league matches could increase from 240 to around 342 games per season.

It’s not unusual for teams to be allowed to compete in another country’s league — as long as there is a mutual agreement between the respective football federations.

For context, domestic football in Sudan has been suspended since 2023 due to ongoing conflict.

As a result, Sudanese clubs have been seeking to participate in foreign leagues to keep their players active and prepare for upcoming continental competitions.

If one of these clubs were to participate and win the Rwandan Premier League, it could strengthen their case to represent Sudan in future CAF (African) competitions. However, they would not be awarded the Rwandan league title.

One of the Rwanda Premier League officials told IGIHE that only Rwandan clubs among the 16 original teams in the league would be eligible to win the title and receive the official championship trophy.

The Rwandan Premier League currently has clear regulations, including a cap on the number of foreign players — no more than eight per match. However, this rule might not apply to the foreign clubs being temporarily integrated.

In the previous season, Al Hilal and Al-Merrikh played in the Mauritanian league, where Al Hilal finished in first place.

Although they were not awarded the league trophy, they did receive a financial prize for their performance.

Despite not officially winning the title, both clubs later returned to Sudan to participate in a playoff tournament featuring the top eight clubs, which was used to determine the country’s representatives for the 2025/26 CAF competitions.