Bokota should be banned for being stupid

Ferwafa must ban Bokota Labama for playing in different leagues in the same season. It’s totally unacceptable, and if he’s guilty, the punishment should be handed out with immediate effect. There mustn’t be any debate on this. The man and the likes of him are a disgrace not only to Rwandan football but to the values of the beautiful game. Football in this country has come a long way, and so to be where it is, a lot has been done, which is why, if there is a rotten apple in the basket, it must be thrown out before it stains the whole lot, which has cost people so much time to try to put together. His club APR did the right thing by sacking him as soon as news filtered through that he had featured for the Kisangani-based Teout Solida Maleketa just a day after playing for the military side against TP Mazembe in the Orange Champions League second round first leg in Kigali. APR’s actions were testimony that no player on their books is indispensable or should think that he is, or even be made to believe that he can do anything stupid and gets away with it. So Iam hoping Ferwafa, as the game’s governing body, should hand Bokota the most appropriate punishment for his misdemeanors. At his age and experience, the DR Congo born striker should be a role model to the young players and the thousands of young fans. When these young boys and girls idolize the naturalized Rwandan international striker, you would expect him to try and be a good example. Unfortunately, not only Bokota but very many of our local players, young and or old, the word role model never exists in their vocabulary, that’s why such cases of playing in two different leagues in the same season as well as living inappropriate life styles off the field, will never end. Bokota’s case is not the first and tenth, but rather the umpteenth where players, most of Congolese origin have flouted rules and played in the Rwandan league as well as back in their native Congo, especially those coming from the East DR Congo. Players like Kalisa Mao (now at APR), Abedi Mulenda, Kalisa Kase (both at Atraco), Albert Nyumbayire and Philip Gasana alias Pichu (both Rayon Sport) among others have done it in the past and went away with it. But the time for that has past, and as Rwandans and their partners as well as other well wishers continue to develop football in the country, respect for the rules that govern the game must have no substitute. Two years ago, Ferwafa made a surprise call when they banned Mulenda for a year without playing for signing for two different clubs in the same season. The veteran striker, signed for Rayon despite knowing very well that he had just signed a contract extension with Atraco! Now after setting such precedence, the football federation surely have a tough decision to make concerning Bokota and his stupid antics. If there are rules and regulations governing the beautiful game in this country, then I believe that what Bokota and others have done and still do is unacceptable and punishable by a lengthy ban, so I hope justice prevails and if it does, it should be the last we see of the veteran striker in Rwandan football. nku78@yahoo.com