Kwibuka 23: CAF postpones Rayon Sports v Rivers United clash

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the Confederation Cup tie between Rayon Sports and Nigerian side Rivers United because of the forthcoming 23rd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Last week, local football governing body, FERWEAFA, wrote to CAF requesting to postpone the matches that were initially scheduled to be played on the first and second weekends of April to a later date. The Genocide commemoration weeks starts on April 7 until April 13. Rwanda Peace Cup winners, Rayon Sports blues were supposed to play the first leg away in Nigeria on the weekend of April 6-8 before hosting the return leg on the weekend of April 13-15, in Kigali. “Consequently, to honour the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi victims, CAF considered this request as a force majeure and decided the two matches for one week to be played between April 15 and April 23,” a correspondence from CAF to FERWAFA reads in part. The first leg will be played between April 15-16 in Port Harcourt, while the second leg will be played on April 22 in Kigali. Rayon Sports reached the play-off round after their first round, second leg match against Malian side Onze Createurs was cancelled after FIFA’s suspended the Malian FA. Nigerian side Rivers United were knocked out of the CAF Champions League by El-Merreikh of Sudan following a 4-0 defeat in Khartoum after winning the first leg 3-0. The winner between Rayon Sports and Rivers United will proceed to the lucrative Champions League group stage. editorial@newtimes.co.rw