The past two weeks of the 2024/25 Rwanda Premier League season have been shaped by bizarre officiating with referees now having a big hand on who wins the league and who gets relegated. No matter how a team plays, referees' decisions can unmake the team and make all the effort they have put in the game in vain. Getting to the twilight of the 2024/25 Rwanda Premier League, refereeing has often faced serious criticism over poor refereeing and match fixing which has recently seen some slapped a lifetime ban by the Rwanda FA. As a matter of fact, some teams are said to be favored and all this goes a long way to affect the standard of the league. In approximately two weeks from now, the curtains will be drawn down on another exciting season. Till now, the race for the league title is between APR and Rayon Sports while at the bottom, aside Vision FC who have officially been relegated back to second division, as many as five teams namely Muhazi United, Marines FC, Amagaju, Bugesera and Musanze are all at risk of relegation per the permutations. Generally, officiating has not been a big concern at the start of the campaign except some few hitches. Musanze FC dragged Saidi Ndayisaba and centre referee Moise Murindangabo to the local football governing body (Ferwafa) for their supposed role in club’s 1-0 defeat against AS Kigali in match day 2 of the league held at Kigali Pele Stadium on August 28. ALSO READ: Bugesera vs Rayon game halted amid fans protest as APR move top Also, Muhazi United head coach Emmanuel Ruremesha openly criticized referee Juliette Akimana in a post-match interview, after the 2-2 draw against Kiyovu. The Rwandan coach claimed that the referee always came with an agenda against them, taking an example from their past three matches that she handled. Moreover, some clean goals were controversially not awarded in some games by some referees. In week 27 of the league, for instance, Rayon Sports benefited immensely from assistant referee Emmanuel Habumugisha when he disallowed Richard Kilongozi’s injury time goal which would have brought Police FC level. The players claimed that the ball had crossed the line and was inside the net before Youssou Diagne cleared it. Rayon suffered a similar fault on Saturday, May 17, against Bugesera FC at Nyamata Stadium when referee Patrick Ngaboyisonga denied them what players and fans alike insisted that it was a clear penalty. The referee instead awarded the penalty to Bugesera after Umar Abba was fouled in the box after a counter attack from the incident. The match was halted after traveling fans started to throw objects on the pitch in protest of the referee’s decisions. Stadium fatalities mostly are caused by referee decisions. They tend to be biased and fans react which, in the long run, brings mayhem. A typical example is Wednesday, May 9, 2001 when over 300 fans died at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana in an Accra Hearts of Oak vs Kotoko Premier League encounter. Referee William Sey allowed Hearts of Oak striker Ishmael Addo's offside goal to stand and fans started causing riot. Police threw teargas to control the fans but there was already stampede during which at least 300 fans died. We don't know what would have happened next at Bugesera Stadium if referees hadn’t stopped the match after angry Rayon fans started throwing bottles and other items onto the pitch claiming that their team was being cheated. APR also benefited from a controversial penalty against Gorilla. Although Gorilla FC players protested against the penalty decision, their efforts were made in vain. Maybe the same incident that happened in Bugesera would have happened at Kigali Pele Stadium if Gorilla had had a big fanbase like Rayon’s. The poor officiating which has often been reported in Rwandan football in the late months of this season is not doing the clubs any good. If the players and fans’ concerns are right then, the teams being can’t get anyway in Africa club football in case they qualify to compete at the continental stage. The fact that there is no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a second check and, as the referees are also humans, they are banned to make mistakes but some are unpardonable and you can easily see they have an agenda as to why they to do some teams favor at the expense of others. What should referees do in the remaining 2 league games? It should not only be about Rayon and APR games but also the teams who are battling to avoid relegation. We must be able to have worthy league champions and teams which get relegated on merit. This is the time referees and their assistants should be very attentive. They must always be closer to the action so that they can take concrete and good decisions. Moreover, notwithstanding who is playing, there shouldn't be intimated by fans, etc. They should be themselves and officiate fairly so that we get the correct results. Again, if a referee appears to make a mistakes and they realize it, then they have the right to reverse the decision regardless.
