SECOND division league side Nyagatare FC have been handed a one-year ban by local governing body, Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) ruling them out of 2017/2018 season. The ban was upheld during FERWAFA’s Executive Committee which met on Tuesday. The club was banned on the grounds that in the 2017/2018 season, they missed three league matches without consent from FERWAFA. According to Article 89 (1) of FERWAFA Competition regulations, any club that loses 3 matches by default during the same sporting season, is automatically excluded from the aforementioned championship and is relegated to a lower division. In case there is no lower division, like is the case in Rwanda, such a club is suspended for a sporting season in all competitions. Eastern Province based, Nyagatare FC failed to honour three of their fixtures against Akagera, Esperance and Etoile de l’Est in the on-going second division league. After playing eleven matches of the first round in Pool A of the Second Division League this season, Nyagatare FC is placed bottom of the standing with only two points. In 2016, Gasabo United and Unity were also handed a one-year ban after they missed three league matches without consent from FERWAFA. Meanwhile, FERWAFA also upheld a 2-year ban on SEC Academy FC president Augustin Munyandamutsa and a fine of Rwf500, 000 over an offence against honour and incitement of violence as cited in Article 55 and 58 of the FFERWAFA Disciplinary Code. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
