The start of the 2007/08 national football league season has been postponed to November 21 Ferwafa has confirmed.

The new season had initially been scheduled to kick off this Saturday November 17 but it has been pushed forward by four days.

The new development was disclosed by local football federation chief, during a brief press conference held after the federation’s Annual General Assembly in Gisenyi of the Northern Province.

Brig. Gen. John Bosco Kazura said that main reason for the postponement was to enable clubs finalize the players’ registration process.

"We want to have a transparent league that is why we have decided to give clubs enough time to clear their players’ licenses issue before the league could start,” Kazura said.

All topflight clubs have been given up to next Wednesday as the final deadline of registering their players with the national football federation.

Club failed to beat the earlier deadline, which passed last Friday.

However, Ferwafa has confirmed that the new football league season would start as planned even without sponsors.

Unlike in the previous years, the 2007/08 football league will be composed of 12 clubs rather than the usual 14.

Electrogaz and Military football clubs are the new entrants while Jeunesse, Zebra, Umurabyo and Espoir were the clubs relegated from last season’s campaign.

Ferwafa officials led by Kazura have been in talks for some time now with some companies including MTN Rwanda and Gateway Television GTV, aimed at finding a prospective sponsor for the 2007/08 national football league
But until to date, all those talks are proving unproductive but the officials are confident about clinching a deal sooner or later.

According to Kazura, the federation will unveil the name of the sponsor once they have fully agreed and finalized on a possible deal.

Kazura further added, "The league must go a head on November 21 whether we have got the sponsor or not.

Ferwafa website launched

Meanwhile, Ferwafa has officially launched its long awaited website www.ferwafa.co.rw.

According to Kazura, the website would greatly reduce on the data collection problems that local media sports journalists have been facing for so long.

"This website is expected to harmonize the communication relations between the media and federation.

"Every bit of information that would be required from the federation will be available on this website to enable the media do their work more effectively that it has been in the past,” Kazura stressed.

The website project is one of the many changes that the current executive which ascended to power in December 2005, pledged as it took over the management of football in Rwanda.

Youth development
In yet another way of developing football in the country, the General Assembly approved the scheme to set up an U-15 national team as well as starting up a third division football league beginning next year.

"The U-15 national team will help in providing players to the U-17 and U-18 national teams as well as the senior team,” Kazura noted.

Women league to be standardized
The women national football league is expected to take another turn next season, according for Ferwafa president.
Kazura emphatically emphasized the need to have a more competitive women’s league starting with next year where all women football clubs throughout the country would be taking part.

Ends