Gakwaya quits Rayon Sports

OLIVIER GAKWAYA has resigned as the Secretary General of Rayon Sports with immediate effect.  The club chairman Theogene Ntampaka has revealed.

Monday, May 12, 2014
Olivier Gakwaya has quit Rayon Sport after a six-year stint. Courtesy

OLIVIER GAKWAYA has resigned as the Secretary General of Rayon Sports with immediate effect.  The club chairman Theogene Ntampaka has revealed.

Gakwaya who has been the Secretary General for Nyanza-based club for six years tendered in his resignation on Saturday. 

It’s reported that the recent disciplinary measures against him by Rwanda Football Federation ( Ferwafa) triggered his resignation. 

Last month, he was hit with a two-year ban from football following his involvement in violence during a league match last season. 

However, the sanctions were lessened after an appeal to an eight-match ban instead of two years and a fine of Rwf200,000 for his role in mobilising fans and encouraging them to chant anti-Degaule songs aimed at Ferwafa chairman Vincent Degaule Nzamwita. 

Efforts to get a comment from him were futile as he switched off his phone after this reporter tried to get a comment from him.

However, the club chairman told Times Sport yesterday that the club management thinks Gakwaya resigned because of the Ferwafa sanctions just like their Coach Luc Eymael who left the club on Saturday. 

"Gakwaya said that he resigned due to personal reasons.  But we think it’s because of these sanctions which hurt him a lot. We are going to look for a replacement but we commend him for his role in the daily operation of the club. His services have been vital to the club. We thank him for the job well done during his reign as the club’s Secretary General,” added Ntampaka. 

Gakwaya’s resignation comes a few hours after head coach Belgian Luc Eymael parted ways with the club over the same sanctions slapped onto him by Ferwafa. 

Eymael’s sanctions were also reduced to an eight-match ban instead of two years and a fine of Rwf200, 000 following an appeal last month. 

Meanwhile, Claude Muhawenimana, Rayon Sports fan club chairman has been banned for two years and slapped a fine of Rwf500, 000.