Ex-Rwandan player Tibingana joins AS Kigali

Former Amavubi, and APR right-winger Charles Mwesigye Tibingana has rejoined Rwanda national football league side, AS Kigali as a free agent signing a two-year deal, according to the club; team manager, John Nshimiye. The 22-year old Ugandan-born former Rwanda International had joined AS Kigali last August after being released by APR FC. However he did not play a single game for them after failing to be cleared to play as a Rwandan by the Rwanda football governing body, FERWAFA. On realising that he wouldn’t be able to play for AS Kigali, who have a policy of using only local players, he travelled to Malawi and came close to joining Malawi’s most successful club, Big Bullets FC, on an initial one-year contract. However, the former U-17 and U-20 star failed to reach financial terms with the club, hence returning to Uganda where he has been without a club. His arrival at AS Kigali will be a big boost for Eric Nshimiyimana’s league leaders. “Tibingana is now our player and has been training with his teammates for the past two weeks, what is remaining is to get his license which should probably be done before the league resumes,” Nshimiye told Times Sport on Thursday. Initially, the midfielder had declined to play for AS Kigali under a Ugandan identity, but it appears as though, after realising he won’t get his wish, Tibingana will be the only non-Rwandan in the AS Kigali squad. In a separate interview, AS Kigali club chairman Charles Havuguziga said, “We have not changed our policy of using only Rwandan players but for Tibingana it is a special case, because, he has been playing in Rwanda and for Rwanda since 2011, so for us, we don’t see him a foreigner.” The former Victory University SC player was part of the Rwanda U-17 team that qualified and played in the 2011 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, before he signed for APR, along with Andrew Buteera, but has not played competitive football for almost a year and a half. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Ex-Rwandan player Tibingana joins AS Kigali