Better late than never, thanks Ferwafa

Better late than never, according to The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition 2002 is, “It is better to do something after it was supposed to have been done than not to do it at all.” So when news came through that Ferwafa, that’s the local football ruling body had banned Atraco and Amavubi Stars marksman Abedi Mulenda for one year from participating in any local football competition following a breach of transfer rule, I was first to put my hand up and admitted to the changing times of the beautiful game. For so long, Ferwafa has been what I have also for that long seen as a ‘toothless mad dog’. I don’t mean to offend anybody here, just trying to knock the point home journalistically (I’ve just up this word). It is amazing what one simple (I had preferred to call it fair) administrative decision can do to lift the spirits in me and I’m very sure many more like me, who’ve for so long advocated for tougher punishments against players who committee serious offences. Having seen (helplessly and sometimes hopelessly) in the past as Ferwafa let off offenders (players, coaches, officials) lightly, Mulenda’s case proves to me that there’s light at the end of every tunnel, however dark it could be. The federation secretary general Jules Kalisa confirmed Mulenda’s ban which resulted from the player’s “intentional” breach of Article 28 governing the players’ transfer rules. That Article states that any player who will sign two contracts for different clubs shall face a one-year suspension from taking part in any local football competitions. For starters, Mulenda signed two separate contracts with two separate clubs, Atraco (his current employers) and Rayon Sports (his preferred destination), something that can’t be tolerated anywhere in football. The Rwandan international striker of Congolese origin signed a new two-year extension to his contract with Atraco on July 22, only to turn around and enter into another contract with rivals Rayon for a similar length! What does this kind of conduct say of a professional sportsman? And given his age and status as a top player, Mulenda is an inspiration to many young footballers and fans, so when he does something as silly as that, question marks start to pop up over his head. And according to Ferwafa CEO, Mulenda, a player I’ve always held in high esteem because of his laid-back nature for a top footballer, has vowed never to play for Atraco again! Ehh, what did they do to him to make him hate them to that extent, less than three month into ‘new contract’ which he ‘signed’ after the expiry of the initial two-year deal. Mulenda signed for Atraco from Rayon during the 2006/07 season and went on to win the league with the taxi-me side in his second season. However, Mulenda’s is not the only case that needed Ferwafa intervention, there other player whose transfer raised controversy including that of Jean Claude Iranzi from Kiyovu APR, Kalisa Kase from Rayon to Atraco and Arafat Serugendo from Mukura to APR, however these were sorted out amicably between the warring sides. Among this second category, Iranzi’s transfer to APR will forever remain contentious because his former club (Kiyovu), until this day still claim him as their rightful player—but how many can (successfully) win such a battle against APR? Not many, I guess. In the past, Ferwafa has deliberately or otherwise looked powerless as players, mostly those of Congolese origin crisscrossed the Rwanda-RDC boarders almost every weekend to play on the either side. In short, players have been playing two leagues concurrently! Let’s hope that this latest punishment, being the first of its nature to be handed out for such a somber offence shows that Ferwafa, toothless as they’ve looked in the past, can bite when they wanted. And hoping that, after setting such precedence, all eyes will be on Ferwafa when dealing with offences of similar nature in the future. Better late than never I supposed but still one good administrative decision in a long list of offences that have been committed by the players, coaches and club officials in the past, is not enough yardstick to judge the Ferwafa administration when it comes to dealing with similar offences—the world is watching. nku78@yahoo.com