Mama Mukura, whose loyalty to the sport spanned over six decades, died at her home after battling illness. According to club officials, she had recently been discharged from hospital and passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning.
“We were shocked to receive the news. She had gone to bed as usual, but this morning she was found lifeless,” said Gatera Edmond, spokesperson for Mukura VS.
Mukura VS, in collaboration with her family and members of the local football community, is now preparing to give her a fitting farewell.
Club officials described her as a “grandmother to all football lovers,” and said she would be remembered not only for her unwavering support but for the values she stood for: resilience, unity, and passion for the game.
Born in 1922 in Kabitoki Village, Save Sector, Gisagara District, Mukanemeye was the youngest of eight children. She left school early and worked as a cook for Catholic sisters in Kibeho. At 43, she got married but never had children; instead, she became a mother figure to generations of football fans.
Her love affair with football began in her school years and continued through adulthood. She often joined local boys in village matches and once attended a royal football match graced by King Mutara III Rudahigwa.
When Mukura Victory Sports was founded in 1963, she became one of its earliest and most loyal fans. Over the decades, she rarely missed a game in Huye and proudly wore the club’s colours, often cheering from the stands with unmatched enthusiasm. Her presence became synonymous with Mukura home games, earning her the nickname “Mama Mukura.”
Despite her allegiance to Mukura, Mukanemeye was also a devoted follower of Amavubi, Rwanda’s national team. In a 2022 interview with IGIHE, she recalled the joy football brought to her life and encouraged young people to embrace sports not just as entertainment, but as a source of unity and identity.
“We considered her the grandmother of all football fans, not just because she loved Mukura VS, but also because she deeply supported the national team. She was a role model to many, and it’s only right that we give her a respectful farewell and continue her legacy,” said Gatera.
Funeral arrangements are underway, with Mukura VS pledging to honour her with the respect befitting a club icon.
Abigail Lemma Hailemichael, FIFA’s Development Manager overseeing North, East, and Central African countries, recently spoke to IGIHE about ongoing projects and future plans that position Rwanda as a key player in the region’s football evolution.
Since the regional office was established in Kigali over four years ago, Rwanda has served not only as a strategic hub for FIFA’s operations but also as a pilot ground for innovative football development programs. Working alongside Davis Ndayisenga, the regional office head, Abigail coordinates efforts across 16 member countries, helping to implement FIFA’s global agenda locally.
One of the standout projects highlighted by Abigail is the recent approval for the installation of four artificial pitches across Rwanda. The synthetic turf pitches will be built in several districts, including Gicumbi, Rutsiro, and Rusizi, as well as at the Rwanda Football Federation’s (FERWAFA) training facility in Kigali.
The pitch near Kigali, in particular, will upgrade an existing accommodation centre, developed under the FIFA Forward program, transforming it into a fully operational technical centre.
In addition to the full-sized pitches, Rwanda is among five African countries selected to pilot the Mini Pitches Project, which involves constructing smaller, quality pitches in schools. This initiative aims to provide young players with better access to proper facilities right within their educational environments, promoting grassroots participation and talent development.
FERWAFA plans to roll out 10 such mini pitches this year, targeting schools recognised as football development hubs.
Rwanda also benefits from the FIFA Football for Schools Program, a continent-wide initiative that has already reached 12 countries under the supervision of the regional office. The program uses football as a tool to teach life skills to children, distributing hundreds of thousands of footballs and training coaches to engage youth through fun and educational football sessions.
Abigail emphasised that despite progress, challenges remain across the region, particularly regarding the limited financial and operational capacity of some member associations. To address these gaps, FIFA has focused on creating partnerships with commercial stakeholders and launched the FIFA Club Professionalisation and Management Program.
This initiative targets top leagues and clubs to enhance administrative skills, improve governance, and boost financial sustainability.
Looking beyond Rwanda, ongoing projects include the near-completion of the Kadiba Stadium in Uganda and the establishment of a national technical centre in Egypt.
The development manager also highlighted FIFA’s commitment to women’s football, detailing specialised programs aimed at increasing female participation, improving coaching and league structures, and raising the visibility of women’s football through targeted campaigns.
For young footballers and aspiring professionals in Rwanda and the wider region, Abigail shared an inspiring message, stressing that football is a platform full of opportunities. With dedication and support, it can open doors beyond the pitch, whether as players, coaches, referees, or sports administrators.
The Rwandan side edged Nigeria 12–11 in a thrilling final to secure top honours in the competition, which brings together athletes aged 14 to 17 from across the continent.
Earlier in the tournament, Rwanda had also defeated Nigeria 11–9 in the group stage and registered a dominant 20–10 win over hosts Algeria.
This maiden edition of the African School Games kicked off on July 27 and is scheduled to run through August 5, 2025. The multi-sport event has attracted participants from 52 countries, although Burundi and Somalia withdrew.
Rwanda is competing in two disciplines, 3×3 basketball and athletics, represented by both boys and girls.
Speaking during the official launch of the facility in a question-and-answer session with Masai Ujiri, co-founder of Giants of Africa and the driving force behind the Zaria Court concept, President Kagame emphasised the power of enabling environments and investing in youth potential as keys to Africa’s transformation.
“In my mind, thinking about the youth of Africa, I don’t think about borders,” Kagame said. “We need to make sure that everything we do translates their hidden potential into reality. The youth are the first asset the continent has.”
The inauguration ceremony, held on the sidelines of the ongoing Giants of Africa Festival 2025 in Kigali, drew African business leaders, creatives, sports icons, and youth from across the continent. Among them was Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, whom Ujiri praised for championing the African Renaissance initiative aimed at galvanising leadership and economic transformation across Africa.
Construction of Zaria Court Kigali began in August 2023, with President Kagame and Ujiri breaking ground on what was envisioned to be the first of several such hubs across Africa.
The complex now stands complete, featuring an 80-room hotel, multiple restaurants, a rooftop lounge, a gym, co-working spaces, a podcast studio, a broadcast centre, and a large multipurpose arena for sports, concerts, and cultural events.
Outside, the facility includes five-a-side football pitches, a callisthenics area, children’s play zones, and open green spaces. A modular retail park, built from stacked shipping containers, provides affordable space for Kigali’s rising designers, food vendors, and small business owners.
“This is more than a building,” Ujiri said. “It’s an ecosystem. It creates community. It creates value. It shapes economies.”
In the heartfelt conversation with Ujiri, President Kagame shared his personal reflections on sports and leadership, admitting he was never an athlete himself but always saw the value in creating platforms for others to thrive.
“I wasn’t a sportsman by any standard,” Kagame said. “But I was a sportsman at heart, and often thought about what I missed. If I can enable those who can do more and benefit the whole country, then I’m the happiest person.”
He also spoke to the economic impact of sports, pointing to Rwanda’s own experience with the BK Arena and other investments as proof that sports can be a serious contributor to national development.
“This is no longer just about the future. It’s already happening,” Kagame emphasised. “Statistics show that even across Africa, sports can bring in billions to the continent. So, it’s not just a story anymore. The question is whether we choose to be part of reaping those benefits.”
Ujiri, visibly passionate, challenged African governments and private sectors to stop viewing sports as merely recreational and instead recognise it as a business and a growth engine.
“We’re not going to sit down and just let this happen anymore,” declared the former basketball player and president of the Toronto Raptors. “This is a template for Africa, an ecosystem that works. It brings people together. It builds community. And it creates real value.”
He further highlighted how Zaria Court, from design to execution, was a response to the lack of sustained investment in sports infrastructure across African cities.
“In Africa, we have stadiums right in the middle of the city, and they’re all destroyed. They were built 50 years ago with no vision. We paint them before competitions, then leave them to rot. We won’t accept that anymore.”
With plans to replicate the Zaria Court model in cities like Accra, Lagos, Dakar, Johannesburg, and Nairobi, Kigali’s success story is expected to serve as a catalyst for more sports-driven urban development across Africa.
During the event, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi underscored the economic potential of sports, stressing that nations sidelining it risk falling behind in development.
“Sports should be an economic priority for every country. If you’re not putting sports at the centre of your economic growth, then you’re already playing from behind,” she declared.
Echoing this, Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League, said the progress seen in Rwanda affirms the possibility of building a world-class professional basketball league on the continent.
“This gives us confidence that we can build one of the best professional basketball leagues in the world, right here in Africa.”
The historic achievement came after Rwanda defeated Sierra Leone by 51 runs in the final.
Rwanda batted first and posted a total of 135 runs in 20 overs, with Sierra Leone managing to take seven wickets. In response, Sierra Leone was bowled out for just 84 runs in 18.1 overs, falling short of the target and handing Rwanda a commanding victory.
With this win, both Rwanda and Sierra Leone have secured promotion to Division One, where they will join Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The eight teams will face off in September 2025 in Namibia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.
Only one team will earn a coveted spot to represent the continent at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in India later this year.
For APR FC, Rwanda’s reigning champions, the match is part of their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The army side kicked off their warm-up games with a strong performance, defeating Gasogi United 4-1 in Shyorongi on Sunday.
For Nigeria, the encounter serves as a critical part of their build-up to the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN). The CHAN tournament features only players competing in their national domestic leagues and will run from August 2 to 30, co-hosted by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
Nigeria’s CHAN team will head to Zanzibar after the Kigali fixture to compete in Group D, where they are drawn alongside Senegal, Congo, and Sudan.
APR FC, meanwhile, has lined up more friendlies as part of their international preseason schedule. The club is confirmed to play Tanzanian powerhouses Simba SC and Azam FC in mid-August.
Discussions are also ongoing with South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs, raising the possibility of another top-tier clash.
Before meeting Nigeria, APR will be back in action on Tuesday, July 22, in a friendly against Gorilla FC.
As Rwanda’s representatives in the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League, APR FC hopes to break new ground this season.
The tournament will bring together 15 nations competing in Africa’s Davis Cup Group V, the continent’s lowest tier in the prestigious global competition.
Team Rwanda features a strong line-up including Niyigena Étienne, Hakizumwami Junior, Ishimwe Claude, and David Manzi Rwamucyo. The squad is under the stewardship of head coach Habiyambere Dieudonné.
Before they departed from Kigali on Saturday, the players received the national flag from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Sports, Rwego Ngarambe, in a symbolic send-off ceremony.
The matches will be staged at the National Tennis Centre in Gaborone, with the 15 teams divided into three pools: one group of three teams, and two groups with four teams each.
To determine which two teams will earn promotion to Group IV, playoffs will be held between the top team in Group A and the top team in Group D, as well as between the winners of Group B and Group C.
Rwanda dropped to Group V following a tough outing at the Davis Cup 2024 in Angola, where it finished bottom of Group B behind Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.
That 2024 squad, also coached by Habiyambere Dieudonné, included Habiyambere Ernest, Niyigena Étienne, Hakizumwami Junior, and Muhire Joshua. The team won only one of nine matches in the group stage and lost 2–1 to Angola in the relegation playoff.
Cameroon also suffered relegation from Group IV in 2024, finishing last in Group A, home to Senegal, Algeria, and Angola, before falling 2–1 to Kenya in the playoffs.
Rwanda’s best Davis Cup campaign came in 2019, when the national team, featuring Havugimana Olivier, Niyigena Étienne, Habiyambere Ernest, Uwizeyimana Mathieu, and guided by coach Rutikanga Sylvain, secured historic promotion to Group III.
Though rally racing remains a niche sport in Rwanda, globally it’s known as one of the most demanding and dangerous disciplines in motorsport. Competed on rugged dirt tracks, rally stages often feature sharp turns, deep potholes, slippery surfaces, and narrow paths—conditions that test both the machine and the driver.
Racers are often required to maintain speeds exceeding 100 km/h in these unpredictable environments. As a result, the fatality rate in rally racing is considerably higher than in standard circuit racing, with statistics showing 5.7 deaths per 1,000 drivers in rally, compared to just 0.4 per 1,000 on paved tracks.
This is not a sport for the timid—or the underfunded. Rally cars are costly, and preparing one for competition involves steep expenses in maintenance, spare parts, and safety equipment.
Yet Queen Kalimpinya has carved her space in this high-risk, high-adrenaline world. She is among the very few women rally drivers on the African continent and continues to turn heads both for her performance and her fearless attitude.
{{From pageants to podiums
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Kalimpinya first gained public recognition as a finalist in Miss Rwanda 2017, where she placed as Second Runner-up. But it’s her transition from beauty queen to rally queen that’s inspired a new generation of Rwandan girls.
In a recent interview with IGIHE, she recalled her early fascination with speed and vehicles.
“I grew up loving activities like cycling, things that were seen as ‘for boys’,” she said. “As I got older, I bought a motorbike and used it for everyday transport. That’s how people in the motorsport community first noticed me.”
Initially unfamiliar with rally racing, Kalimpinya accepted an invitation to try it out and was instantly hooked.
“They asked me to try, and I said, ‘I’m not afraid.’ The more I trained, the more I loved it. I started as a co-driver and eventually moved into the driver’s seat.”
After two years as a navigator, Kalimpinya took on the lead role. She credits her passion and determination as key to her progress.
{{Behind the wheel and beyond
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Kalimpinya approaches rally preparation with the mindset of a professional athlete. Once one event ends, she begins prepping for the next, usually held within one to three months.
“After every race, I immediately start preparing for the next one,” she explained. “This includes both the car and myself, without disrupting my daily work.”
Her fitness routine plays a crucial role. Kalimpinya trains under coach Liberté, who focuses on cardio and core strength.
“Rally drivers need excellent cardiovascular fitness,” he said. “They must run, use machines to build endurance, and train the arms, legs, core, and back. Hydration and rest, 7 to 9 hours of sleep, are just as important.”
{{A sport that demands and inspires
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In March 2023, Kalimpinya made history as the first Rwandan woman to lead the National Rally Championship since Belgian driver Nathalie Cox did so in 2000.
While her career is marked by milestones, she acknowledges the financial demands of the sport.
“It’s an exciting sport that teaches you so much about vehicles,” she said. “But it requires funding, sponsors and partners. Hopefully, that will improve in the coming years.”
“Right now, I often rely on YouTube videos to learn. If we had professional coaching and better cars, we could compete at the highest levels. The car I share with Ngabo [her co-driver] is outmatched by others on the track. A new car would make a huge difference.”
{{When Lewis Hamilton took notice
}}
One of the most memorable moments in Kalimpinya’s journey came when Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, shared a photo of her on his Instagram account.
“It was just after a tough race, at a time when I was thinking of quitting,” she revealed. “Balancing motorsport with work had become overwhelming, and I wasn’t seeing the results I hoped for. Then, he shared my photo. I hadn’t even told anyone I was struggling. It felt like a sign that I should keep going.”
The post renewed her motivation and served as a powerful reminder that perseverance pays off.
{{Trust and teamwork
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Kalimpinya races alongside Ngabo Olivier, her co-driver, who praised her rapid growth and dedication.
“From the beginning, she learned fast. She makes few mistakes now and drives like a seasoned pro,” he said. “She has the harder job—my life is in her hands. I just read the pace notes and time sections. She has to deliver.”
Though she hasn’t been involved in any major accidents, Kalimpinya has had her share of close calls.
“Once, I missed a corner and the car veered into bushes—I lost visibility and control,” she recalled. “Another time, I hit a tree. There was also a near-collision with a dog in Huye. I had to decide whether to hit it or stop and risk crashing. My co-driver urged me to hit it, but luckily it ran away just in time.”
{{Training the next generation
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Together with Garage ATECAR, Kalimpinya has launched Team Queen Academy, a program to train young aspiring drivers aged 16–18.
“We’re thinking about who we’ll leave the sport to,” she said. “We want to start with mechanical training, and once they’re eligible to drive, teach them competitive racing.”
In the most recent Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, Kalimpinya finished fifth overall, cementing her place as one of Rwanda’s most exciting motorsport talents and a role model on and off the track.
The announcement was made on Thursday, July 10, via the club’s official social media platforms. Ssekiganda joins from Uganda Premier League side SC Villa.
The 21-year-old, who was named in the 2024/25 Uganda Premier League Team of the Season, had long been on APR’s radar. However, the move was delayed due to his commitments with the Uganda national team.
Ssekiganda was recently part of the Uganda Cranes squad preparing for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament reserved for players competing in their respective domestic leagues.
With CHAN fixtures set to coincide with the start of the Rwandan Premier League, APR opted to bring the midfielder in early to allow him to integrate with the squad during pre-season preparations.
Ssekiganda is expected to be a key asset for APR FC across all competitions, with the club aiming for a strong campaign in the CAF Champions League.
Trump made the revelations in his Tuesday cabinet meeting at the White House, a day after FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled the organisation’s new offices in Trump Tower. The offices will also house the Club World Cup trophy until the tournament’s conclusion.
“I’ll be going to the game,” Trump told reporters after he was asked if he would be attending the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Earlier, Infantino praised the cooperation received from U.S. leadership: “We’ve had tremendous support from the government, the President, and the White House team working on the current FIFA Club World Cup as well as next year’s FIFA World Cup.”
President Trump, whose tower has 58 floors, has long expressed a strong interest in sports and made headlines in February when he became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl game.
The FIFA Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams from around the globe, is doubling as a major test event ahead of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico. The 2026 tournament will see participation grow to 48 national teams, making it the largest World Cup in history.
MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants, will host both the upcoming Club World Cup final and the 2026 World Cup final.
