As clubs gear up for the return leg of the top flight league, Times Sport looks at key moments that shaped the first round. APR’s unbeaten run ends The army side had gone 50 matches unbeaten, a run that came to an end following 1-0 defeat to Mukura in a game that was played in two different days due to heavy rains that flooded Kigali stadium in Nyamirambo. The reigning champions had not lost a single match in the top flight league since Moroccan Adil Erradi Mohamed was appointed as club head coach in July 2019. Since his arrival at the club, Adil built a team that any local club would find too tough to beat, despite the fact that he was counting on only homegrown players. Poor refereeing decisions and suspensions Although Rwanda is after Salima Mukansanga became the first woman to ever officiate an Africa Cup of Nations game during the just concluded tournament in Cameroon, local match officials are increasingly being criticized for letting the Rwandan football down following controversial refereeing decisions that have shaped the top flight league campaign so far this season. A number of club officials and coaches, football pundits have on many occasions questioned the performance of referees, accusing them to be at the center of controversy due to refereeing decisions that, on many occasions, left teams unimpressed, sparking disappointment and devastation among the football fraternity. Some referees were as a result punished for their poor performance and were made to serve suspensions by the football governing body (Ferwafa). Clubs threaten to pull out of the league In unprecedented circumstances, clubs threatened to quit the national football league for different reasons varying from financial constraints to poor refereeing decisions against them. Fortunately, none of the 16 top flight league sides has quit the league yet. Gasogi United football club chairman Charles Nkuriza Kakooza ‘KNC’ was tempted to withdraw his team from the top flight league, citing unfair referees Kakooza’s sudden statement came after his team had a goal controversially ruled out for offside during the team’s shock 1-0 defeat against Rayon Sports in January. He, however, rescinded his decision but vowed never to go to the stadium to watch football games. The majority of top tier clubs protested against staying in residential camps citing financial reasons, with the likes of Rayon Sports and Kiyovu considering leaving the league to rich teams, especially those backed by government agencies. However, the clubs committed to participate in the league after the Ministry of Sports relaxed the guidelines imposed for federations to resume the competitions. Youssef and Rayon Sport saga Rayon Sports thought they had found a new hero in Moroccan Youssef Rharb after he quickly established himself among standout players to watch in every single game since he arrived at the club on loan from parent club Raja Casablanca in October last year. However, things changed when the Blues announced the premature return of the Moroccan and his compatriot Ait Lahssaine Ayoub, to their club in mid-January, following reports that they were not happy with life at the club, citing salary delays and ‘quality of food’ behind their protests. Marcel Lomami who was the caretaker coach at the time admits the playmaker will be missed so much at the club but insisted that he couldn’t withstand his misconduct which he was afraid would cost the team’s quest for a league title. Clubs show little patience for poor results The 2021/2022 top flight league season has not been good for coaches with a big number of clubs showing little patience for poor results. The likes of Rayon Sports, AS Kigali, Mukura and Bugesera FC have already replaced their coaches. Mukura, for instance, brought in Spanish tactician Tonny Hernandez after sacking Emmanuel Ruremesha whose reign was characterized by a poor run of results. Elsewhere, Rayon last week appointed Portuguese Jorge Paixão as the clubs new head coach to replace Juma Masudi who was sacked in December last year. AS Kigali and Bugesera FC are among other clubs that appointed new head coaches Mike Mutebi and Etienne Ndayiragije respectively last month.
