Ten-time Peace Cup champions Rayon Sports have controversially pulled out of the 2023 edition of the competition just minutes before their last 16 second leg tie against Intare FC on Wednesday, March 8, at Bugesera Stadium.
Blues were on their way to the stadium in Nyamata for the match when football governing body (Ferwafa) informed the club management that their match was rescheduled to Friday, March 10, same venue in a late communication that club president Jean Fidèle Uwayezu described as ‘beyond imagination’.
"This is beyond capacity of understanding, we can’t afford to cope with these last minute decisions,” Uwayezu told journalists in a press conference held at club headquarters on Wednesday, March 8, in Kimihurura.
"Our players were already on their way to the match stadium in Bugesera when we received Ferwafa’s email that our match was postponed. What kind of games are these? What do you think I should go and tell those players?” he further claimed.
Rayon face AS Kigali Sunday, March 12 and Uwayezu told members of the press that Ferwafa’s late decision to reschedule the Peace Cup match left them in no other option to pull out of the tournament and focus on Rwanda Premier League after they found it ‘impossible’ to play two games with in three days.
"Tell us how you can play on Friday, then again on Sunday? How did they [Ferwafa] choose to tell us that the match was postponed just a few hours before the match? How did they choose to put the match on Friday while they know we have a league match two days later? Maybe someone else made this decision, not them,” Uwayezu lamented.
"We, as the committee, have decided to withdraw from the Peace Cup because we can’t accept this kind of persistent violation of rules in our football,” he further claimed.
Uwayezu said that the club doesn’t care about any penalties that may follow their decision to pull out of the tournament, insisting that "rules must be respected."
"We have informed FERWAFA that we are pulling out. We are ready to take responsibility for the consequences. There should be a change. We will not always be in this kind of situation."
However, he did not rule out the possibility of returning to the tournament as long as Ferwafa presents friendlier conditions to play it.
"Rayon is the most flexible team but on the other hand there are things we can’t accept. If they come and show us how games will be played, we can again sit as the committee and discuss the way forward, then decide on what we can do for the benefits of the club and Rwandan football in general,” he said.
Rayon became the third topflight club to withdraw from the 2023 Peace Cup after AS Kigali and Gasogi United.