Jean Marie Ntagwabira plans to appeal the five-year ban imposed on him by Rwanda football federation, (Ferwafa) on Thursday.Both Ntagwabira and a football fan Issa Kayinamura (facilitator) were banned from all football related activities for five years after they was found guilty of match-fixing.Though the decision was taken by Ferwafa’s disciplinary committee, such a crucial decision is normally taken by a National Sports Arbitration Tribunal, which is non-existent in Rwanda.It is on this basis that the former Rayon Sport and Amavubi coach has decided not to appeal to Ferwafa but instead take the case to the world football governing body. “I cannot appeal to Ferwafa because they don’t have any right to sanction such a lengthy ban when I am even innocent,” Ntagwabira told Times Sport yesterday.He noted, “If we had a national sports arbitration tribunal, I would immediately take my case there but with the help of my lawyer, I will seek Fifa’s intervention because even, if I were guilty, there is no basis for the federation to ban a coach for five years.” In his defence, the former APR midfielder says Ferwafa has no written rule(s) regarding cases like match-fixing.Both Ferwafa president Celestin Ntagungira and secretary general Michel Gasingwa, who signed the five-year ban letter, have failed to indicate the laws that were based on.In the Italian league where match fixing scandals have become rampant, no such lengthy ban has been imposed on either coaches, players or even officials found guilty.Juventus coach Antonio Conte was handed a 10-month suspension after being found guilty of match-fixing. The former Rwandan international shocked football fraternity in July when he confessed to bribing Rayon players to throw away a league match against SC Kiyovu in 2009, which he coached at the time.He admitted to using Kayinamura to bribe a couple of players, whose identities remain a secret, to underperform. The encounter ended 3-2 in favour of Kiyovu.
