Sixty players under probe over dubious citizenship

Rwanda Football Federation is investigating 60 players in connection with illegally acquiring national ID’s and changing their identities. The federation is working together with Police and the Immigration and Emigration Directorate on the issue, according to the Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) secretary general, Olivier Mulindahabi. “We are working closely with CID and Immigration to establish if all the 60 players changed their identities or got national IDs without going through proper channels,” Mulindahabi said. Rwanda was on August 17 disqualified from the 2015 Afcon qualifiers by the competition’s Organising Committee on grounds that they used a player with double identity—striker Dady Birori, who also goes by the name Agiti Tady Etakiama at his Kinshasa-based club AS Vita. According to Ferwafa and the Ministry of Sports and Culture, all the players who changed their names must go back to their original identities and nationality. Some of the players under investigation include; APR’s Andrew Buteera, Yannick Mukunzi, Michel Ndahinduka, Issa Bigirimana, Albert Ngabo, Isaie Songa and Charles Tibingana Mwesigye. Others are; Peter Kagabo, Jimmy Mbaraga, Mussa Habimana, Mussa Mutuyimana, Jerome Sina and Kipson Atuheire (Police FC), Yussuf Munyakazi Ndikumana and Rodriguez Mazuru (Kiyovu SC), Fuadi Ndayisenga, Arafat Serugendo, Isaac Muganza and Kambale Salita Gentil (Rayon Sports). Others are; Jean Baptiste Mukamba, Claude Saiba Mumbere and Yumba Kayite (Amagaju FC), Charles Kawuma and Mbanyi Ndayisenga (Sunrise FC), Bate Shamiru, Rodriguez Murengezi, Hussein Sibomana, Bodo Ndikumana and Hassan Akanakimana (AS Kigali). Mukura Victory Sports has six players under investigation namely; Nyango Ombeni, Djuma Saidi Ngendakumana, Etienne Karekezi, Abou Ndayegamiye, Hussein Cyiza Mugabo and Ally Niyonzima. Espoir FC has seven, among them; former Amavubi stars skipper Hamadi Katauti Ndikumana, Ibrahim Nasser Irakoze, Kayumba Emmanuel, Mamadou Mbazumutima, Moussa Eric Kayiranga, Elias Ntaganda, and André Lomami.