Football across nations: 2023

Sunday, 31 December 2023

The best of 2023

The year 2023 has been moderately good for most of the teams we are dealing with. The two teams which play in the top league of their country, Bourj FC (Lebanon) and Cusco FC (Peru), had a good season, classifying in the first half of the table.

Bourj FC finished the 2022-2023 season in fifth place, not exactly what they wanted, losing the fourth place after being defeated in the last round by their archrivals, Shabab Sahel. This is a slight decline from the third place they had in 2021-2022, but still a good performance overall. They also had the opportunity to play in an international competition after almost 30 years, as they qualified to the first preliminary round of the Arab Club Champions Cup (King Salman Cup). However, they lost both legs to the much stronger team Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates, but one should point out that both matches were played away, in Abu Dhabi. Bourj FC started the 2023-2024 season very well and qualified to the play-offs for the third time in a row, in third place.

Cusco FC came back to the Peruvian First Division (Liga 1) in 2023, after one year spent in the Second Division (in 2022). They finished the season in ninth place in the aggregate table, missing the eighth position for a single point, after being defeated 3-1 in the last round by Universidad César Vallejo, which took their place and therefore qualified for the next year Copa Sudamericana. From this point of view, the 2023 season ended disappointingly. Nevertheless, they started very well and finished the Apertura (first half of the season) in fourth place. In Clausura, they had a rather poor performance, and manager Pablo Peirano was sacked with six rounds to go before the end of the season. The change did not bring the expected results. A new manager, Argentinian Miguel Rondelli has been appointed manager for 2024, and transfers are ongoing, as almost the entire 2023 squad vanished.

At the beginning of the year, the only team which competed in the second tier was Fayoum SC, of the Egyptian Second Division. However, due to structural changes in the Egyptian Second Division starting with 2023-2024, Fayoum lost their place in the Second Division. They needed to be in the top five or six in their group to qualify for the new Second Division, but instead they finished the 2022-2023 season only in 12th position in Group A and were therefore relegated to the Second Division B, the newly-created third tier in Egypt. They have not lost a single game so far in the 2023-2024 season, but they are far from the top spot in Group B of the Second Division B, which would allow them to promote to the Second Division.

In the second half of the year, former Pepiniere FC enrolled in the 2023-2024 Rwandan Second Division (Group A), under the new name of Kamonyi FC, after two years in which they did not compete officially. So far their results are good, and they are in the first half of the table.

By far, the best performance this year belongs to Total Soccer of Medellín (Colombia). Once again, they succeded to win the Colombian nation-wide Primera C, defending the title they clinched last year, in 2022. This time, it looked even easier, as they won both legs of the final over Ciamen FC of Cúcuta. It is a pity that the winners of Primera C are not allowed to promote to the professional Primera B, and Colombia is unfortunately one of the few countries in the world which does not have a proper football pyramid, and the only one in South America (and Europe) which completely separates professional football from amateur football. As long as this remains like this, Primera C would be the highest level where Total Soccer are allowed to compete as an amateur team.

In Slovakia, 1. FK Svidník are struggling to remain in the Third League (East Group). They had a fairly good first half of the year, finishing the 2022-2023 season in 10th place, with manager Vladislav Palša. Numerous changes were made in summer, including a new manager, but performance dropped in 2023-2024 and they are currently in bottom position, and if nothing changes for the better, they might expect relegation at the end of the season.

FK Tryavna 1922 won the Gabrovo Regional League in 2022-2023 but they eventually did not enroll in the 2023-2024 Bulgarian Third League (North-West Group), although they were entitled to promote and everything seemed to point in that direction. They remained in the Gabrovo League for 2023-2024, where they are of course involved in the fight for the top spot.

Two teams, Maardu Linnameeskond II (Estonia) and Maaraba SC (Syria) saw no action this year.

Best team

Total Soccer

Best performance

Ciamen - Total Soccer 1-2 (second leg of the Primera C final)

Best manager

Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda (Total Soccer)

Best player

Felipe ”Felucho” Rodríguez (Cusco FC)

Friday, 29 December 2023

Kamonyi FC

Kamonyi FC

Kamonyi Football Club, in short Kamonyi FC or just Kamonyi is a football club based in Kamonyi District, close to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, which competes in the Rwandan Second Division. The club was initially established in Kigali as Jaguar, which was changed to Pepiniere FC in 2006-2007, when they already competed in the Second Division. As Pepiniere FC, the club won the 2015-2016 Rwandan Second Division, which gave them the chance to play in the Rwandan Premier League in 2016-2017. However, they were relegated back to the Second Division after just one year in the top league. Their performance declined in the following years. In 2022 talks started to change the name and to become the club of the district, and this eventually happened in 2023, when they enrolled in the 2023-2024 Rwandan Second Division under the name Kamonyi FC. They play their home matches at Ruyenzi Stadium in Kamonyi District, which had also been previously used when the club was named Pepiniere FC. Kamonyi FC colours are blue and white.

Kamonyi FC starting line-up in December 2023 versus Nyanza FC. Photo source: Nyanza FC Facebook page

History

The initial name of the team was Jaguar, an older club in the Rwandan Second Division, based in Kacyiru neighbourhood of Kigali. In 2006-2007 Jaguar was renamed Pepiniere FC. For a short period of time, especially to avoid confusion, the team was known as Jaguar Pepiniere Kacyiru. They played their home matches at the Red Cross football field (Terrain Croix Rouge) in Kacyiru neighbourhood of Kigali.

Under its new name, Pepiniere FC, the club struggled to remain in the Second Division in 2007-2008, when they had to play the promotion/relegation play-offs, but won the play-offs and eventually remained in the Second Division.

Their performance in the Second Division improved in the following years, classifying third in Group A in 2009-2010.

After a few ups and downs, the team succeeded their greatest performance in the 2015-2016 season of the Second Division, when they won the promotion play-offs and promoted for the first time to the Rwandan Premier League. After the promotion, they were contacted by Muhanga District authorities, which wanted to regain their place in the Premier League, because AS Muhanga were relegated, but negotiations eventually failed. Nevertheless, due to the lack of sponsors, Pepiniere FC started in the Premier League troubled by financial issues.

Pepiniere FC, winners of the Rwandan Second Division (2016). Source: ferwafa.rw

Unfortunately, their only season (2016-2017) in the Premier League was poor, as they finished last, far behind the other teams, and were relegated back to the Second Division, despite winning many points in the second half of the season, when manager Muhoza Jean-Paul took over, replacing Kayiranga Baptiste. They also had problems with their home ground at the time, Ruyenzi Stadium, which was deemed unsatisfactory for Premier League standards by the football officials. After threatening to abandon the competition, Pepiniere FC were eventually allowed to use Ruyenzi Stadium as their home ground.

Pepiniere FC starting line-up in a match in the Rwandan Premier League, March 2017. Source: Pepiniere FC Facebook page

In 2017-2018, they tried hard to promote again to the Premier League, finishing second in Group A of the Second Division, and qualifying therefore for the promotion play-offs. Nevertheless, they lost in the play-off semifinals to Intare. Later on, because Intare withdrew from participating in the Premier League, another round of play-offs was played, including Gicumbi, which were initially relegated from the Premier League, as well as Pepiniere and Sorwathe, the two teams which lost in the semifinals. Pepiniere won 4-2 over Sorwathe, but lost 2-1 to Gicumbi. Therefore, Gicumbi remained in the Premier League, while Pepiniere remained in the Second Division.

Pepiniere FC players in June 2018. Source: Pepiniere FC Facebook page

After 2018, Pepiniere had a rather disappointing performance in the Second Division, ever farther from the upper part of the classification, and much closer to the bottom of the table. The 2019-2020 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but half-way through it Pepiniere FC were only second to last in Group A.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020-2021 season of the Second Division was postponed until September-October 2021, when it was played in a short format. Playing their home matches at Kamonyi-Rugando Stadium, Pepiniere finished last in their group, obtaining just one point in their last match, a 1-1 draw to La Jeunesse, after losing all other three matches.

Pepiniere FC did not enroll in the 2021-2022 Second Division. In 2022, there were talks to change the name into Kamonyi FC and to become the club of the district, sponsored by the local authorities. However, they still tried to enroll in the 2022-2023 Second Division under their usual name, Pepiniere FC, but the request was denied by the Rwandan football authorities, because the club officials failed to bring the files and documents properly completed. The team was involved only in friendly matches. In 2023, the district authorities eventually took over the club, which changed its name into Kamonyi FC, and succeeded to enroll as such in the 2023-2024 Rwandan Second Division.

Results season by season

as Kamonyi FC

2023-2024: Rwandan Second Division, Group A:

as Pepiniere FC

2021-2023: not enrolled in any official competition.

2020-2021: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 5^th (last). Results: 4 0 1 3 6-12 1 point. The season was played in autumn 2021 in a short format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019-2020: Rwandan Second Division, Group A: 10^th (out of 11). Results: 10 2 2 6 5-24 8 points. The season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2018-2019: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 7^th (out of 11). Results: 20 5 8 7 18-19 23 points.

2017-2018: Rwandan Second Division, Group A: 2^nd (out of 12). Qualified for the promotion play-offs. Lost to Intare in the semifinals, and to Gicumbi in another round of play-offs.

2016-2017: Rwandan Premier League: 16^th (last). Results: 30 3 8 19 21-48 17 points. Relegated.

2015-2016: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: winners, 2-2 (4-3 on penalties) over Kirehe FC in the Second Division final. Promoted

2014-2015: Rwandan Second Division, Group A: 5^th (out of 13). Results: 24 matches … 40 points.

2013-2014: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 8^th (out of 9). Partial results: 14 1 5 8 10-33 8 p.

2012-2013: Rwandan Second Division, Group ?

2011-2012: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 8^th (out of 9). Results: 16 3 1 12 12-38 10 points.

2010-2011: Rwandan Second Division, Group ?

2009-2010: Rwandan Second Division, Group A: 3^rd (out of 8). Results: 14 6 3 5 26-21 21 points.

2008-2009: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 4^th (out of 10). Results: 18 8 4 6 29-27 28 points.

2007-2008: Rwandan Second Division, Group B: 9^th (out of 10). Results: 18 5 1 12 12-32 16 points. Won the promotion/relegation play-off to remain in the Second Division.

2006-2007: Rwandan Second Division, Group A: 6^th (out of 10). Results: 18 6 4 8 22-20 22 points.

as Jaguar

2005-2006: Rwandan Second Division, Group ?: position and results unknown.

Honours

Rwandan Second Division: winners (2016)

Stadium

The football club initially used the Red Cross (Croix Rouge) football field in the Kacyiru neighbourhood of Kigali, also known as Terrain Croix Rouge. They also used Mumena Stadium with a capacity of 1000 spectators in Nyamirambo (Kigali).

After 2015, they moved away from Kigali, playing most of their home matches in Kamonyi District, not far from the capital. They have since mostly used Ruyenzi Stadium, for their home matches in the Second Division, and even in the Premier League, although the FERWAFA football authorities considered the pitch as unsatisfactory for the Premier League standards and recommended upgrades. Eventually, an agreement was reached, and Pepiniere FC were allowed to use Ruyenzi Stadium for Premier League matches.

Ruyenzi Stadium pitch after a heavy rain. The pitch was considered unsatisfactory by football authorities in Rwanda in December 2016 but has been upgraded since. Source: kigalitoday.com

The stadium has a main stand with a capacity for about 1000 spectators.

In 2021, the club used the Kamonyi-Rugando Stadium, also known as Kamonyi District Stadium. Despite changing the name into Kamonyi FC, they moved back to Ruyenzi Stadium in 2023, when the official matches in the Second Division resumed.

Crest

The crest of the club represents the shape of Rwanda, or a map of Rwanda, with the borders clearly outlined, as well as Lake Kivu in the West. Inside the borders, three people are sketched. Two of them, drawn in white and black and wearing football kits, are chasing a ball, running towards each other. The third person, coloured in blue and wearing white sportswear, is running to the left of the footballers, suggesting athletics and sports in general.

Kit colours

The main colours of the club are blue and white, which are reflected in the colour of the kits. Full blue kits, with some white on the edges, have been used most of the times, and are considered as the home kits.

Club players in full blue kits in October 2017. Source: Pepiniere FC Facebook page

Alternative (away) kits have included blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks, or any combination of white and blue, such as white shirts, blue shorts and white or blue socks.