The Rwanda Football Association (FERWAFA) has submitted a letter to the Confederation of African Football Associations (CAF) to consider APR FC’s request to move its matches against Les Aigles du Congo of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
After APR FC defeated Les Aigles du Congo in the first qualifying round of the CAF Champions League, they decided not to play in the DRC due to various issues.
APR FC Cites Ebola and Security Concerns
As indicated by APR FC’s Head Coach, Abderrahim Taleb, he said that taking the players to the DRC is putting them at risk, citing the fact that the country is “affected by the Ebola epidemic” and there are security issues.
FERWAFA Secretary, Bonnie Mugabe, confirmed that APR FC has already written a request to hold both matches at stadiums in other countries, and that it is being reviewed by CAF.
He said, “Yes, we have received the letter. The request has been forwarded to CAF for further review and decision.”
Matches Scheduled for September
The matches were scheduled to take place between September 4 and 6, 2026. The first leg was originally scheduled to be held in Kinshasa, but the second leg will be held in Kigali.
CAF Rules Allow Matches at Alternative Stadiums
The CAF regulations on club competitions, in their article 14, provide that matches may be played at an external stadium [unaffiliated teams] by mutual agreement of the associations or by decision of the Competitions Committee of this association.
Security Concerns Among Grounds for Moving Matches
Among the reasons provided for in this article are security and the lack of an approved stadium for a team to play.
