Kagame wil join other guests including the president of Senegal, Macky Sall and former soccer player and now president of Liberia, George Weah.
Once again, Egyptian Mohamed Salah who plays for Liverpool, and his teammate Sadio Mane, the Senegalese and Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who plays for Arsenal will compete to be named Best African Player of the Year.
Last edition of the CAF Best African Player of the Year Award was scooped by Egyptian Mohammed Salah who in case he wins it this year will become the second player to win it for two consecutive times after the Senegalese El Hadj Diouf, Cameroonian Samuel Eto’O and Ivorian Yaya Toure.
The CAF African Best Player of the Year is known after votes held by Coaches and captains of 56 national football teams of country members of CAF.
Mulisa was a sad man after his side were held to a goalless draw to Gicumbi who sit in the relegation zone in the Azam Rwanda Premier League a match day 12 staged at Kigali Stadium on Friday.
Before the game, APR were top on league table with 25 points in nine games while Gicumbi Football Club was 15th with nine points in 11 games, one place in front of Amagaju FC who sit in the bottom.
In post match press conference, Jimmy Mulisa said his players played like those who had merely come for a travel and did not play putting their hearts on their job accusing some of the off field misconduct.
“I played football in Rwanda and abroad. I know how players should behave and how they prepare to win every game. But it is sad these players of mine want me to be their police man. We should help our players. I usually hear people say certain players don’t play because they have personal problems with the coach,” a sad Mulisa said.
“Players have not yet understood football is their job and this won’t make our football attain any further level. I am not a police man to go after every player to know where he spends nights and bars in which they night out. If I were able to, I would do that job but I am a coach. I only know matters in the playground,” he added.
Mulisa further said his players put no effort to win the game they drew with Gicumbi but rather played as if they had come to travel in the pitch.
Players whose performances were poor include those who are regular in APR FC starting XI and in the national football team including forward Muhadjiri Hakizimana and left winger Jean Claude Iranzi who Mulisa both replaced at half time.
APR FC, defending champions of the Azam Rwanda Premier League have not yet lost a game in ten games they played this season. The draw to Gicumbi saw the military side lose the total three game points at home for their first time having drawn one another game to Bugesera FC away in Bugesera District.
The 17-time winners of Rwanda National Football league played without four of their starting eleven including goalkeepr Herve Yves Kimenyi, defender Herve Rugwiro, right back Ombolenga Fitina and forward Issa Bigirimana who are said to have refused to feature in the game alleging to have minor injuries while in truth they wanted to rest to enjoy the festive times.
Since December 22, 2018, nobody knew whereabouts of Emmanuel Hakizimana, a resident of Beninka Village, Rubirizi Cell, Kanombe Sector of Kicukiro District, who was most known as ‘Bienvenu’ after he went missing.
In the night of December 22, 2018, around 3:00’am, the night patrol (irondo) officers met a young man near Hakizimana’s boutique with a laptop and jerry bottle and held him.
The young man was usually Hakizimana’s houseboy according to Steven Bagabe, the President of Beninka Village.
“They held the houseboy and asked him where he was going in that night and he answered Hakizimana (the deceased) had sent him to take his stuff home. They held him until the morning when he was taken to the in Charge of Security in the Cell before he was taken to Police Station,” Bagabe said.
“At Police, they dialed the phone number of Hakizimana, a call which was answered by someone sounding Burundian and when they asked if he was Hakizimana, he said yes. But when they kept calling the number asking him many more questions, he hanged up the telephone which can’t be reached since then,” Bagabe recounts.
Bagabe said that on Saturday, Hakizimana’s houseboy who was in custody at a Police Station was released as ‘Police found no evidence against him’ and immediately fled.
{{How Hakizimana’s death was discovered}}
Bagabe says that Hakizimana had started living alone, with the houseboy, after he had separated his wife with whom they had two children due to conflicts.
He says that days after Hakizimana could be seen nowhere, neighbors started smelling an offensive odour from Hakizimana’s house.
“Today [Sunday], they opened the house in which they found nobody but the stinking smell could be smelt from the backside of the house. When they arrived in the kitchen, they found the corpse wrapped in boxes. We don’t know if he had a problem with anybody but we hope that if his houseboy is caught, he will provide more information,” Bagaba said.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Modeste Mbabazi said it was evident Hakizimana had been murdered because his corpse was found wrapped by stuff and RIB investigators had reached the scene and started investigating his death.
Mbabazi said nobody had yet been arrested following the dossier as the investigation goes on.
Robertinho has sealed a six-months contract on Thursday, December 27th, and pledged to win the Azam Rwanda Premier League and the Peace Cup, the two tournaments Rayon Sports is participating in this season.
Talks between two sides that had been going for almost two months were ended when the Brazilian tactician accepted a $4500 salary until July 4, next year.
Robertinho contract extension raised a lot of controversy when it was said the blue side, eight-time winners of the Rwanda National Football League had talks to sign Rwandan Andre Cassa Mbungo who requested a less salary.
Robertinho who is popular among Rayon’s players arrived in Rwanda in June this year and as their headcoach, he helped Rayon Sports reach the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup, for their first time in history, the quarters of the CECAFA Kagame Cup and lost Rwanda’s Peace Cup 2018 in the final to Mukura Victory Sports on 1-3 penalties.
After signing his new contract, the Brazilian also requested Rayon Sports authorities to look for him the two aides coaches including the vice coach and the goalkeepers’ coach.
News reaching IGIHE suggest that the vice caoch to Robertinho is between Said Abed Makasi and Thierry Hitimana while the new goalkeepers coach will be Thomas Higiro who was the goalkeepers’ coach in AS Kigali.
According to letter of resignation released on APR FC website on Sunday, the 71-year-old Serbian Petrovic will no longer act as the trainer of Rwanda’s Army affiliated football club due to heart problems and impaired health.
“I am contacting the Management of the Club to inform that due to my heart problems and impaired health, I can no longer conduct the trainer’s job,” reads a letter dated November 15th, 2018.
“After a detailed examination, to my great sadness, the doctor told me that if I want to continue with normal life, I should never be dealing with a trainer’s call. This is the most difficult moment of my life because I am forbidden to do what I love most,” sadly says Dr. Petrovic in the letter.
Ljubo Petrovic, winner of the European Cup-turned-UEFA Champions league as head coach of Red Star Belgrade as Serbia, his native country in 1991, won, with AP FC, the last Azam Rwanda premier League cup which saw Rwanda’s national football cup 17-time winners qualify for the 2018/19 TOTAL CAF Champions league, Africa’s major interclub football competition.
“I am so sorry to stop working for FC. APR, now when we are on our way to achieving all the wishes of the club especially of entering the Champions League,” the letter keeps reading.
{{Former Rayon Sports coach said to replace Petrovic?
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Trusted news reaching IGIHE is that after resigning from his job as APR FC, Dr. Ljupko Petrovic may be replaced by Luc Eymael, a Belgian Coach who once served as APR FC’s bitterest rivals, Rayon Sports’ coach.
“Petrovic has resigned at a time when CAF competitions are near. Some coaches are being considered to replace him. Among them, the most known is Luc Eymael, former Rayon Sports’ coach. He is a good coach who is also experienced in African football,” said an official in APR FC who talked to IGIHE on conditions of anonymity.
This follows the resolutions in a meeting of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that was held in Rabat, Morocco, last Saturday, of which decisions were announced to football federations in countries members of CAF on Friday morning.
APR Football Club that will represent Rwanda in the TOTAL CAF Champions league 2018/19, the African major football interclub competition, will face Club Africain ‘CA’ that finished third in Tunisia national football league last season.
The first leg game will be hosted by APR FC at Kigali Stadium on November 27 this year while the return leg match will be staged at Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunis on December 4, 2018.
The winner between the two will face the winner between Sudan’s Al-Ahli Khartoum Club and JKU SC Football Club representing Zanzibar.
In the TOTAL CAF Confederation Cup, Africa’s football secondary interclub competition, Rwanda is represented by Huye based Mukura Victory Sports which won the Peace Cup 2018. Mukura VS drew Free State Stars representing South Africa in the competition.
Free State Stars FC is coached by Belgian Luc Eymael who was once the coach of Rayon Sports FC, a local club and Olivier Kwizera, Rwanda’s national football team Amavubi’s goalkeeper plays for them.
The first leg match between Free State Stars against Mukura Victory Sports will be held at Goble Park Stadium located in Bethlem City of Free State Province in South Africa on November 28, 2018 with the return leg match set to be played at Huye Stadium on Decemeber 5, this year.
{{How the draw went for other East African football clubs
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· Le Messager FC de Ngozi (Burundi) vs Al-Masry SC (Egypt)
· Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) vs Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi)
· Simba SC (Tanzania) vs Mbabane Swallows (Eswatini)
· Vipers FC (Uganda) vs Al-Merrikh (Sudan)
On November 5, 2018, Rayon Sports team acquired the Foton AUV bus manufactured by Chinese company, Beiqi Foton Motor Co Ltd, shipped in by Akagera Motors.
This is the second bus that Rayon Sports has owned in the last 50 years since the one they were awarded by President Paul Kagame in 2003 which broke down.
Rayon Sports manager, Paul Muvunyi, told IGIHE that the vehicle will be paid for in 12 months, by the club and its partners.
“We have bought this bus for Rwf100 million to be paid off in installments until December 2019. With Rwf16 million from Rayon Sports, Rwf34 million will come from Radiant Insurance, one of our partners, Rwf50 million will come from our partners such as Skol, Airtel, Bonanza Co Ltd and others who will pay a Rwf1 million each month to be given the opportunity to run adverts on the bus,” he said.
This bus has been painted with Rayon Sports partners’ adverts.
Muhanga FC who finished second in the Second Division League to qualify for a promotion to the first division defeated Police FC 2-1 in a game staged at Muhanga Stadium in Muhanga District on Sunday.
Yannick Bizimana and Aime Ntirushwa scored for the hosts while Eric Ngendahimana netted a consolation goal for the visitors who finished six in the last season.
The 2018/19 Azam Rwanda Premier League (ARPL), Rwanda’s national football league division, sponsored by Azam TV, kicked off on Friday, October 19, 2018, when APR FC, the incumbent champions were handed the 2017/18 trophy before beating Amagaju FC 2-0 at Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo.
APR FC won the league title in July this year with 66 points but the crowning ceremony had to be postponed due to the regional club and continental national team engagements, and Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) opted to hand-over the 17th trophy title on the opening day of the season.
Muhadjir Hakizimana, the reigning ARPL best player and left winger Dominique Savio Nshuti scored for the military side to start the title-defending campaign on a high note.
The action continued on Saturday, October 20, when Rayon Sports traveled to Rubavu District and beat Ettincelles 1-0.
Burundian born forward Bonfils Caleb Bimenyimana scored for the ARPL 2017/18 winners with Brazilian Roberto Oliveira Goncalves do Carmo as the head coach for his first full season since joining the eight-time champions in May replacing Belgian Ivan Minnaert who has joined Libyan side Al-Itihad as head coach.
In other games on Saturday, Espoir FC traveled from Rusizi District in West to Northern Province to hold Gicumbi FC to a goalless draw in a game at Gicumbi Stadium while Kirehe Football Club was beaten home 0-2 by SC Kiyovu whose goals were netted by their skipper Alexis Ngirimana and Innocent Habyarimana.
Huye based Mukura Victory Sports defeated Sunrise FC away from Nyagatare District 1-0 in a game that saw the hosts reduced to ten men as Alexis Nkomezi was sent off for a second yellow card he was shown for fouling Espoir’s Mamadou Mbazumutima in the 59th minute.
Hussein Ciza was the only player on the score sheet as he netted for the hosts in the 17th minute of the game that was played at Huye Stadium in South.
While Muhanga FC gave Police FC Zambian coach Albert Mphande a tough season start on Sunday, the Kigali City sponsored side, AS Kigali could not get the three points against visitors Musanze FC with their clash ending in a 1-1 draw.
Assisted by Ugandan born Mohammed Med, Japhet Imurora netted for the visitors five minutes before halftime and Jean Claude Ndarusanze, the last season top scorer, equalized only 80 seconds after the start of second half of the game that Juma Masudi, AS Kigali new coach watched in the stands before he starts his job on Monday.
At Umuganda Stadium, home in Rubavu District, Marines FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Bugesera FC who got an equalizer by Djihad Rucogoza who scored to make it 1-1 in the second half after the hosts had opened the scores through Benjamin Tuyishime who converted a well-taken penalty in the 26th minute to give his side a halftime lead.
The Azam Rwanda Premier League 2018/19 match day two will continue on Friday, October 26 when Police FC host Espoir FC at Kicukir Stadium while SC Kiyovu clash with Marines FC at Umumena Stadium.
On Saturday, October 27, title defenders APR FC will travel to North for a tie against Musanze FC while AS Kigali clash with Kirehe FC at Nyakarambi Stadium.
Rayon Sports will face Mukura VS at Kigali Stadium three months after Mukura defeated them 3-1 on penalties to win Peace Cup 2018 and qualified to the CAF Confederation Cup 2018 while AS Kigali visit Kirehe FC at Nyakarambi Stadium among big matches.
President Kagame was speaking at a reception in New York hosted by NBA on the sidelines of UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development meeting in New York. The meeting focused on how to accelerate progress for increased broadband access across the world.
Kagame thanked NBA participants for keeping Africa at the centre of what can be done globally especially when it comes to identifying talents that are in Africa. He said that there are Africans who became stars in basketball and many more can become so.
“In the NBA, there have been many Africans but there are many more who can be there. It is not just playing basketball, it exposes them to many opportunities, including education and many others,” he said.
The president also thanked NBA players who come back to Africa where they came from and help others so that they may also take a step forward.
“They come to Africa, they had these opportunities and now they are looking back and saying where we come from there are many more,he said.
The reception was also attended by Masaji Ujiri, a Nigerian professional basketball executive, former scout and former player, currently serving as the president of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association. Ujiri is also the co-creator of Giants of Africa, a youthful basketball program in Africa.
Giants of Africa was created in 2003 as a non-profit organization with the goal of changing this reality. GOA has grown to include four countries in Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda and we look forward to adding two more in the Summer of 2016.
President Kagame also thanked Larry Tanenbaum, NBA Chairman of the Board of Governors for his support, time and money that he invests, saying that it should reach the entire Africa and be a partnership to develop Africa.
Meanwhile, in New York President Kagame also met with billionaire Jack Ma, the founder and director of Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational conglomerate specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet, AI and technology.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) 2.2 level cycling competition “Grand Prix Chantal Biya” to be held for the 18th time, since 2001, will see the riders from 10 teams, among them three from Cameroon, peddling through five stages on a total distance of 699 kilometers.
The list of cyclists to represent Rwanda in the tour was announced by the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY). Tactician Felix Sempoma will be in charge of the team during the competition.
The team comprises of among others Jean Bosco Nsengimana who won Tour du Rwanda 2015 and became the second Rwandan to win the tour since 2009 when it became international after Valens Ndayisenga who was the winner in the previous year.
The five-rider team also includes Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, the reigning winner of the race, Janvier Rugamba, Eric Manizabayo and Michel Uwiduhaye.
The Rwandan cyclists will fly to Cameroon on September 24, 2018, two days before the tournament kicks off.
In 2016, Nsengimana, 24, won the fourth stage of the tour when he clocked 4’09’’42’’’ on a distance of 169 kilometers. Nsengimana was then competing for the German Stradalli Bike Aid cycling club.
Team Rwanda emerged second best team behind Cameroon’s SNH Velo in 2016 while they had finished second behind Team Morocco in 2015, when they first participated in the annual race. Rwanda was not last year invited by the organizers.
The “Grand Prix Chantal Biya” cycling competition is organized by the Cameroonian Cycling Federation and chiefly sponsored by Chantal Biya, the wife of the President of Cameroon Paul Biya, hence the name.
Last year’s edition of Grand Prix Chantal Biya tour was won by the 26 year old Cameroonian, Clovis Kamzong who rides for SNH Velo Club.
{{Stages of 2018 Grand Prix Chantal Biya race:
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• September 26, Stage 1: Douala –Douala( 92km)
• September 27, Stage 2: Yaoundé –Nanga-Eboko (152km)
• September 28, Stage 3: Yaoundé – Ebolowa (151 km)
• September 29, Stage 4: Sangmélima – Meyomessala (134 km)
• September 30, Stage 5: Sangmélima – Yaoundé (170 km)
