Two officials have been locked up after some players they recruited roughly tackled President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi in a football match. The President had been playing with is Haleluya FC against a team from Kiremba, the southern part of the country.
The opposing side is said to be normally aware of playing against the country’s president, and therefore avoid tackling him, and perhaps allow Nkurunziza to score.
Cyriaque Nkezabahizi, administrator of the Kirema team, and Michel Mutama, his deputy, were said to have recruited some Congolese refugees to join the team. The refugees had roughly tackled Nkurunziza making him fall several times.
Nkezabahizi and Mutama, have since been charged with “conspiracy against the president”.
Nkurunziza, 54, is said to travel around with his football team and his choir, Komeza gusenga, which means “pray non-stop” in the local Kirundi language. He plays up to three football matches in a week as well as swimming and cycling.
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