Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has opened an investigation into the Azam Rwanda Premier League match between SC Kiyovu and Miroplast, which took place last week after Miroplast head coach Suleiman Niyibizi accused SC Kiyovu of bribing his players to lose. Kiyovu won the match 2-0. Ferwafa spokesperson Bonnie Mugabe said Kiyovu and the referees who officiated the match were requested to respond to the allegations. However, Mugabe didn’t reveal what their responses were. Ferwafa’s disciplinary committee, which is headed by Joseph Kajangwe, is investigating the matter. Kiyovu’s secretary-general and spokesperson, Omar Munyagabe, denied the match fixing allegations, adding that “this is an excuse for losing the game”. Meanwhile, SC Kiyovu, who are in fourth on the league table will host third place APR (34) where a win for former will see them jump into third place while the win for APR will move them to second place with 37 points. In the first leg, SC Kiyovu pulled off a shock 1-0 victory to end a 12-year losing streak against APR FC. The lone goal of the match was scored by Francis Mustafa in the 32nd minute and he is the man to fear for APR’s team after coming off the bench to score six goals in the league. Before the first leg, SC Kiyovu had not beaten APR in the league in 12 years – their last victory was a 3-1 back on October 30, 2005 and it came on the last day of the season after the military side had already been crowned champions. Meanwhile, forward Jimmy Mashingirwa Kibengo, aka Jimmy Mbaraga, scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to earn AS Kigali all three points in yesterday’s tie against Gicumbi at Gicumbi Stadium. It was his fifth goal of league. Gicumbi came out playing aggressive football in the first half but failed to beat Ugandan goalie, Batte Shamiru, while AS Kigali responded well in second half and it was Kibengo who netted a winner in the 89th minute from an Eric ‘Zidane’ Nsabimana cross. AS Kigali midfielder Ally Niyonzima was red-carded in the 70th minute after hitting Gicumbi midfielder Hussein Ndarabu in the face. The goal kept AS Kigali at the top of the league table with 38 points while Rayon Sports remained second with 35 points after drawing 1-1 against Kirehe. After losing, Gicumbi are second from bottom with 15 points, two ahead of bottom side Miroplast, who will visit eighth placed Bugesera today in Nyamata. Etincelles beat Sunrise 2-1 to jump into fifth place with 30 points while Sunrise dropped to seventh with 25 points. Marines are in 12th place after playing a goalless draw against 13th placed Espoir in Rusizi. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
