FERWAFA files complaint with CAF against Uganda’s player

Rwanda National Football Body-FERWAFA hopes to revive its CAF- Under-20 qualifiers fortunes by having Uganda-Hippos excluded from the competitions in the wake of allegation against Uganda goalie James Ahebwa.

On Tuesday, the local football body in Rwanda filed a complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Ugandan side, over the age of the Under-20 Uganda Hippos goalie James Ahebwa.

The body accused the Federation of Rwanda Football Association of Uganda (FUFA) for using a player with two different dates of births.

Ahebwa CAF-Champions league high quality secured license indicated that he was born on March 27, 1997, yet his national passport issued by Ugandan authorities indicated a different date: May 19, 1998.

Ahead of the return leg at Kampala, Rwanda U-20 skipper Savio Nshuti and he’s counterpart Halid Lwaliwa signed a covenant in the presence of match commissioner Alfred Rwiza Kishongole from Tanzania to bear witness to the matter.

When FERWAFA requested for all the players licenses both for the CAF Champions league and Confederation, FUFA presented the league permits.

The body has noted that the match officials who handled both qualifiers are also at fault as they didn’t ensure the application of one of the section in chapter 21 (list of players), article 47 which states:

“The commissioner and the referee must forbid any player on the list that does not conform to the standards of qualification of the competition from participation in the match. CAF reserves the right to sanction any failures,” FERWAFA indicated

The goalie featured in the first leg in Kigali, when he was brought on as a substitute for Saidi Keni, who was red carded on the 67th minute for a bad tackle on Rwandan striker Blaise Itangishaka during the game.

By press time, efforts to reach out to CAF via email twitter and Facebook as well as the Moses Magogo President of FUFA were not possible.

According to the rules and regulations by CAF, the complainant is supposed to pay US$ 2,000 if the continental body is to look into the matter and Article 46 of the rules and regulation of CAF prohibits a player to license two different date and names.

Rwanda’s hopes of progressing to the next round of the U-20 AFCON were dashed after losing to Uganda 3-2 on aggregate following a 2-1 defeat that ended in Kampala last Saturday at Nelson Mandela National Stadium.

The victory sealed Uganda’s qualification alongside other 16 teams including defending champions Nigeria and they will face Egypt for the third and final round to be played in Zambia in July.

Unless otherwise decided by CAF, Uganda will face Egypt, but should the FERWAFA protest by successful, Rwanda will proceed to the next round as Uganda will be disqualified.

Mohamudu M.

Uganda U-20, Hippos defeated Rwanda 3-2 on aggregate