Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rescheduling league games has been a constant feature in the Rwanda Premier League and on the African continent at large for many years.
The league body normally issues the fixture schedule before the season starts but the calendar may change and force games rescheduled due to clubs’ engagement in Africa competitions and international football games among other factors.
This scenario has over the years affected many teams not only in Rwanda alone but also across the entire African continent.
Narrowing down our sphere, there have been clubs such as MO Bejaia and MC El Eulma of Algeria as well as Marumo Gallants of South Africa who got relegated from their domestic league the same season they played in Africa club competitions. This was due to the fact that they had so many rescheduled games and could not catch up.
APR FC are supposed to play four rescheduled league games in the space of 11 days between December 1 and December 11 to ensure that all first round matches need to end before the Christmas break
The military club is in a predicament which other clubs have also faced in the past years and, aside playing in CAF club competitions, national team camping has also caused the league to be rescheduled a host of times. With that, there is not much to say as Amavubi remains a big priority.
In the recent 2025 African Cup of National (AFCON) and CHAN qualifiers, Amavubi coach Frank Torsten Spittler emphasized that the league should go on as he doesn’t need players for long periods as they already know his philosophy.
“I do not need players camping for a long time and the league can go on this weekend, we already have the core of the team and the national team games are closer to each other so whatever we learnt is still in their head,” Spittler said before Amavubi beat Djibouti 3-0 win in the CHAN qualifiers.
For the clubs, rescheduling league games is a real headache as it serves as a bane to their plans, technical team tactics, finances from game proceeds.
Mukura Victory Sports Managing Director Protais Musoni believes the fixture calendar can be managed if all concerned stakeholders make it their responsibility.
“Rescheduling Rwanda Premier League games disrupts clubs plans, affects player recovery, technical preparations, finances, and fan engagement. Some clubs have to play 3 matches in 10 Days. Some matches will be played in midweek that affects fan attendance at stadium,” Musoni told Times Sport.
“It’s very challenging. Hopefully, it’s a lesson for clubs, and Rwanda Premier league, next time fixtures might be adjusted and planned based on international competitions either for clubs or national teams.”
How does rescheduled games affect players?
Players are the main actors in football.
According to Sems-Journal on Sports & Exercise medicine published in Switzerland on November 1, 2019, when the football schedule is congested (that is two matches per week over several weeks), the repetition of matches can lead to a chronic fatigue among the players who play regularly, as the recovery time between two successive matches may be too short.
Players need a minimum three to four days (72 hours to 96 hours) to effectively recover fully from a match. Otherwise, the risk of getting injuries increases due to fatigue.
In Europe, teams playing in lesser European competitions do not risk, for example 90 percent of Chelsea players playing in the UEFA Conference League this season are not actively playing in league games.
Again, even those teams like playing in top European competitions like the Champions League and the Europa, they manage things very well and the system there is that tedious. Traveling is easy, no long transit, and even after games, they have special nutritionists, doctors and others who make sure the players regain their energy.
Moreover, unlike Africa where continental club competitions are mostly played on weekends, in Europe, they are played in midweek making clubs have the chance to play their domestic league games on the weekend.
Rescheduling league games is not only a Rwandan league problem but an issue for Africa. It is about time that fixtures are made by the various football federations and league boards taking club and national team football into consideration.
When this is done, leagues will go on smoothly without being interrupted. This will help both the players, fans and club management.
Ethiopia is hosting its first-ever green mobility exhibition as part of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting green transport solutions.
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — Ethiopia is hosting its first-ever green mobility exhibition as part of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting green transport solutions.
Held from Nov. 22 to Saturday at Huajian International Light Industry Special Economic Zone in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, the Ethio-Green Mobility 2024 exhibition showcases the latest innovations and technologies in green mobility, including cutting-edge electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy technologies.
Addressing the event, Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics Alemu Sime highlighted the expo as part of the government’s commitment to advancing sustainable mobility and building a climate-resilient green economy.
Sime noted that Ethiopia is working hard to reduce dependence on nonrenewable energy in the transport sector by utilizing its abundant renewable energy resources.
Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics Alemu Sime (R) visits the Ethio-Green Mobility 2024 exhibition in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Nov. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
The exhibition, drawing a bevy of Chinese exhibitors, serves as a platform to create networks and facilitate market linkage among firms and clients engaged in green mobility.
Li Xuan, Ethiopian representative of Chinese EV brand Neta Auto, observed an increasing demand for EVs in Ethiopia after the government’s plan to cut importation of gas-powered cars.
“Many China-made EV brands are on sale in Ethiopia where the market for EVs booms after the government’s plan to ban importation of gasoline vehicles,” Li told Xinhua.
Belayneh Kindie Metal Engineering Complex, a local company engaged in the assembling of electric minibuses and coaches, also has its products displayed at the exhibition.
With semi-knocked-down and completely-knocked-down components imported from the Chinese Golden Dragon Company, the engineering company assembles and supplies EVs to the market in Ethiopia.
People look at a display of electric bikes at the Ethio-Green Mobility 2024 exhibition in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Nov. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Ermiyas Dersu, quality control manager of the company, told Xinhua that the demand for EVs is promising in Ethiopia, as the company has sold 216 minibuses in less than a year.
“As part of its commitment to promoting electric mobility, the government of Ethiopia has allowed importation of EVs with tax preference while facilitating loans to importers,” Dersu said, adding that the market for EVs continues to expand thanks to increasing availability of spare parts and improving charging facilities.
Apart from four-wheelers, electric bicycles and tricycles have also caught the attention of many visitors to the exhibition.
Woda Vehicle Manufacturing PLC is a local company specializing in the research and manufacture of light EVs. Their electric tricycle can travel between 80 and 100 km when fully charged, with only about 4 percent of the cost per km on average when compared with a conventional three-wheeler, according to the company.
“This electric tricycle is getting more and more popular in Ethiopia, especially in rural areas and small towns. We have sold more than 500 units in one year across the country,” said Michael Mulugeta, the company’s marketing officer.
People visit the Ethio-Green Mobility 2024 exhibition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nov. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
More than 100,000 EVs are now on the road across Ethiopia, while authorities seek to have up to 500,000 EVs in the coming 10 years, replacing 95 percent of cars powered by fossil fuels.
The government is working to expand EV production and public charging stations and will offer support such as free or leased land for investors in EV after-sales service, according to the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
Early this year, the government of Ethiopia announced a ban on imports of gasoline or diesel vehicles to fast-track the transition to electric mobility in the face of a global fuel price hike.
“Ethiopia is going ahead to harness its renewable energy resources. This is a good start. I witnessed the EVs, with fair prices, winning the hearts of buyers,” Yonas Leaketsion, a visitor at the exhibition, told Xinhua.
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