Michelle Gasigwa, widely considered the Rwanda’s best centre referee, has announced that will he be retiring at the end of the forthcoming third round of the of the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers due next year.

The CAF/FIFA centre referee told Timesport on Monday that his decision to retire from the refereeing profession comes in accordance to Fifa retirement age limit.

Gasigwa started his career in 1995 and became an international referee two years after.

The highest note in the career of the 44 year old match official came in 2001 when he officiated at the U-20 African Youth Championship in Seychelles.

"Under Fifa rules we are not allowed to exceed the mandatory retirement age of 45 years and I will honour that requirement,” Gasigwa said.

"In Rwanda and some countries like England this rule is sometimes ignored but I would prefer to call it quits at a time when am also not completely worn out,” Gasigwa added.

Gasigwa added that he would love to follow the example of former Italian Fifa referee Pierluigi Collin.

Meanwhile, Gasigwa has been named as the centre referee for the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifier group fixture between Angola and Niger in Luanda this weekend.

With the retirement of Gasigwa soon, Rwanda will be having Issa Kagabo and Hudu Munyemana as Fifa reconsidered centre referees.

Celestin Ntagungira a.k.a Abegga is the only Rwandan referee to have featured at continental and world stage as he has so far officiated at the Nations Cups, world youth tournaments, the world Cup and the just concluded Olympic Games.

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