Ferwafa take blame for match mix-up

THE National Football Federation’s Chief Executive Officer Michel Gasingwa has owned up for the fracas that saw the Primus league match between Police and Isonga being postponed.The two sides were due to play last week but Isonga, who form core of the U-20 team did not turn up at Kigali Regional stadium with the club president Augustin Munyandamusta saying that since many of his players had just played a gruelling tie in Namibia, they were entitled to 48 hours to recuperate before playing any competitive match.“Ferwafa rules say that a club which sends more than 2 players in the national team for an international game should be given 48 hours to recuperate, and we wrote a letter to Ferwafa weeks before the match invoking that rule because the match was just 30 hours after the team’s scheduled return from Namibia.“However, Ferwafa replied the morning after the team had jetted in denying our request which was contrary to Ferwafa rules. That is why we did not honour that match,” Munyandamusta said.Police FC’s chairman Alphonse Katarebe says they received communication from the Ferwafa that the match had not been postponed and that is why they travelled to the match venue.“The Ferwafa C.E.O himself communicated to us that the match was still on and we made our usual preparations including going to the venue of the match. “They (Ferwafa) also sent referees and a match commissioner. So, it is very disappointing that they are the same people now changing the goal posts,” a furious Katarebe said yesterday.However, after taking blame for the mix-up, Gasigwa told Times Sport that the national U-20 team coach Richard Tardy, who mooted the idea of Isonga playing in the Primus league advised him that the players were okay to play.“We had a chat with Tardy and he told me that he wanted the players to play that game and also use it as preparation for the return leg against Namibia. “He further told me that many of the Isonga players had not played in the first leg, so there was no fatigue in the team.“That was the basis for my recommendation that the match goes on as planned,” Gasigwa said.Ferwafa has meanwhile rescheduled the game to May 18 but Police chairman Katarebe, who vowed that his side cannot honour a replay, said yesterday they will take a final decision after consulting within the club’s technical team.Police, who are two points adrift of APR albeit with two games in hand, travel to Rusizi to play Espoir on Sunday; play away to Marines and Mukura with their last match against Isonga.

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Ferwafa take blame for match mix-up