The Rwandan Football Federation (FERWAFA) has taken a proactive step to promote good governance and legal compliance in the operations of football clubs. This commitment was underscored during a training session held in Kigali on June 27, 2025, which brought together leaders from various men’s and women’s football clubs across different divisions.
The training focused on educating club leaders and reminding them of their responsibilities in adhering to football regulations at the national, continental (CAF), and global (FIFA) levels. Key topics included FERWAFA’s updated statutes and new regulations for club licensing, as well as Rwanda’s revised law governing non-governmental organizations.
Participants received detailed explanations on the recent amendments to FERWAFA’s statutes, with emphasis on aligning them with FIFA’s statutes as the global governing body of football. These changes were presented as essential steps toward professionalizing club management and fostering sustainable development in Rwandan football.
Club officials were also reminded that, in order to participate in official competitions, teams must comply with all legal requirements. These include being debt-free, employing qualified coaches with the appropriate CAF coaching licenses, and maintaining transparent organizational operations.
Through its legal and licensing departments, FERWAFA clarified that these reforms aim to protect the integrity of the sport, strengthen club structures, and enhance transparency to attract long-term partners and sponsors.
While some new measures posed initial challenges to clubs such as the requirement for each team to have a head coach with a CAF B License FERWAFA assured them that these requirements were introduced based on an informed assessment of the available coaching talent in the country, and thus should not be seen as insurmountable.
The training was attended by top FERWAFA officials, including President Alphonse Munyantwari, Technical Advisor Jules Karangwa, and FIFA representative Davis Ndayisenga, who heads the FIFA regional office in Kigali. They all emphasized that strong governance and legal adherence are the cornerstones of sports development.
The event concluded with a message reaffirming FERWAFA’s commitment to continued collaboration with clubs and other stakeholders in the football ecosystem, with the ultimate goal of building a football environment grounded in legal principles, professionalism, and sustainable vision.
