The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has forwarded APR FC’s request to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) seeking to have its CAF Champions League tie against DR Congo’s Les Aigles du Congo played at a neutral venue. APR FC were drawn against Les Aigles du Congo in the first preliminary round of Africa’s premier club competition. However, the Rwandan champions are reluctant to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, citing health and security concerns. ALSO READ: CAF CL: APR draw Aigles du Congo in first qualifying round FERWAFA Secretary General Bonnie Mugabe confirmed that the federation had received APR FC’s formal request and forwarded it to CAF for consideration. “Yes, it is true; we received the letter. The request has been forwarded to CAF for further assessment and a final decision,” Mugabe said. The first leg will be played in Kinshasa between October 16 and 18, with the return fixture is scheduled for Kigali between October 23 and 25. APR FC head coach Abderrahim Taleb said the club was particularly concerned about reports of an Ebola outbreak in parts of DR Congo, insisting that the safety of his players must come first. “As you know, there is Ebola in Congo. We cannot put our players at risk. We cannot go to a country with a disease that could cause us health problems,” Taleb said after APR’s 2-1 friendly win over Etincelles FC on Sunday. The Tunisian tactician also cited security concerns as another reason behind the club’s request. “There is also a security crisis. We are discussing with CAF whether we can play at a neutral venue, but we will try our luck. We are willing and we are ready,” he added. Under CAF regulations governing inter-club competitions, matches may be moved to a neutral venue either through an agreement between the participating associations or by a decision of CAF’s Competitions Committee. Security concerns and issues relating to stadium eligibility are among the factors that can lead to a venue change. Taleb said APR will continue preparing for their continental campaign while awaiting CAF’s decision. CAF has yet to publicly comment on APR FC’s request. For now, the fixture remains scheduled as originally planned, with the first leg in Kinshasa and the return leg in Kigali, pending CAF’s ruling.
