In a move that may lead to significant sanctions, APR FC breached Rwanda’s foreign player quota rule during their goalless draw against Gorilla FC at Kigali Pele Stadium on Sunday, November 3. The military side played with seven foreign players on the pitch at the same time, one more than the six allowed under Rwanda FA regulations, leaving them vulnerable to punitive action, including a potential forfeit of the match.
APR coach Darko Novic fielded six foreign players at the start of the match: Congolese goalkeeper Pavelh Ndzila, Ghanaians Seidou Yasif Dauda and Richmond Lamptey, Senegalese defender Aliou Souane, Malian winger Mahamadou Lamine Bah, and Nigerian striker Victor Mbaoma. However, during the second half, Novic introduced two more foreign players, Nigerian midfielder Nwobodo Chidiebere and Senegalese Mamadou Sy, bringing the number of foreign players on the pitch to seven for at least five minutes. Upon realizing the breach, the coaching staff quickly substituted Lamine Bah with Alain Kwitonda, a Rwandan player, to rectify the issue.
Rwanda’s football governing body, the Rwanda FA, recently updated the foreign players’ quota on September 1. The revised rule increased the total number of foreign players allowed in a squad to ten but capped the number of foreign players on the field at any given time to six, with only six permitted to start a match while the rest must remain on the bench.
With the potential for APR to forfeit this game, Gorilla FC could be granted additional points, significantly impacting the league standings. Gorilla FC currently sits in second place, level on points (15) with leaders Police FC. Meanwhile, APR FC’s season continues to struggle, as they languish in 14th position with just five points.
In other league matches over the weekend, Marines FC triumphed 2-1 over Muhazi FC at Umuganda Stadium, while Mukura Victory Sports and AS Kigali played out a 0-0 draw at Huye Stadium. Police FC maintained their spot at the top, while Kiyovu’s 4-0 defeat to Rayon Sports marked their sixth consecutive loss, keeping them anchored at the bottom of the table with three points.
The incident involving APR FC adds yet another layer of drama to an already competitive season, as league authorities determine the extent of the club’s violations and potential consequences.
