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Rayon Sports awarded a forfeit win after Gasogi United fails to show up

Rayon Sports were awarded a forfeit victory over Gasogi United after the latter failed to appear at the stadium, citing dissatisfaction with the rescheduling of the match.

The game was initially scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 PM but was later moved to 7:00 PM at Kigali Pelé Stadium, where Rayon Sports were set to host Gasogi United on matchday 25 of the 2025/2026 Rwanda Premier League season.

Rayon Sports players arrived at the stadium and went through their warm-up, but the match was eventually awarded to them by default after Gasogi United did not show up.

Gasogi United, led by Kakooza Nkuliza Charles, reportedly boycotted the match in protest of the time change, which shifted the kickoff from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

The rescheduling was done to avoid a clash with another major fixture, where Al Hilal hosted RS Berkane at Amahoro Stadium in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League, allowing both matches to attract fans.

Reports indicate that Rayon Sports received RWF 11 million from Al Hilal as compensation for potential ticket revenue losses at Kigali Pelé Stadium. This reportedly led Gasogi United to demand similar compensation, which was not granted, prompting their decision to skip the match.

What the regulations say

According to Rwanda Premier League rules, any team that fails to show up for a match—whether home or away—is penalized with a fine of RWF 2,000,000.

Additionally, if a team fails to appear for a second time within the same season, it is automatically expelled from the competition. Upon returning the following season, the team starts in a lower division under FERWAFA and begins with a six-point deduction.

At the time of the forfeit, Rayon Sports players were already warming up alone on the pitch.

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