{"id":56705,"date":"2025-12-31T15:50:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T15:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/dreams-carried-to-dubai-the-journey-of-rwanda-s-young-football-stars-to-al-nasr\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T15:49:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T15:49:20","slug":"dreams-carried-to-dubai-the-journey-of-rwanda-s-young-football-stars-to-al-nasr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/dreams-carried-to-dubai-the-journey-of-rwanda-s-young-football-stars-to-al-nasr\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreams carried to Dubai: The journey of Rwanda\u2019s young football stars to Al Nasr"},"content":{"rendered":"

One programme making this possible is the Tony Football Excellence Program (TFEP). By providing structured training, mentorship, and exposure beyond Rwanda\u2019s borders, TFEP is helping promising players take the first steps toward professional football careers abroad.<\/p>\n

Now in its third year, TFEP has prioritised building partnerships with international clubs, offering selected players the chance to gain experience by training with professional teams abroad.<\/p>\n

This year, the programme facilitated an opportunity for two young Rwandan talents, Kwizera Fils Elys\u00e9e, from Muyumbu Sector in Rwamagana District, and Sangwa Nabil Nassem, from Nyakabanda Sector in Kicukiro District, to train with Al Nasr FC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

The two players are set to spend ten days training with the club, an experience that remains rare for Rwandan children. Speaking to IGIHE, their families shared the journeys that led to this milestone.<\/p>\n

{{Sangwa\u2019s journey to TFEP
\n}}<\/p>\n

Sangwa\u2019s mother, Iragena Ashoura, revealed that her son\u2019s sporting journey did not begin with football.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not a big fan of football, I love karate,\u201d Iragena said. \u201cWhen Sangwa was younger, I introduced him to karate at the age of five, six or seven. But when he turned eight, he developed an interest in football. I asked him what he wanted, and he told me he wanted to play football. That\u2019s when he joined Shining Academy in Kimironko.\u201d<\/p>\n

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According to Iragena, it was Sangwa himself who discovered TFEP and took the initiative to apply.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a very curious child who always looks for information. He was the one who told me about TFEP and even emailed Tony using my phone. They responded and called me to confirm where we lived and when the selection would take place in Kicukiro. That\u2019s how he went, and luckily, he succeeded. I am very proud that he achieved this largely on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although she was initially concerned about her son leaving home at a young age, Iragena later came to appreciate TFEP\u2019s balance between football development and education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they told me Tony operates in Musanze, I was hesitant. My son was still in primary school, and I did not like the idea of him being so far away. But after consulting friends and family, I realised it was for his own good. I saw him grow, both in football and academically; he scored 90 per cent. From then on, I fully supported him, wherever his journey may take him.\u201d<\/p>\n

{{Sangwa\u2019s determination to seize the opportunity
\n}}<\/p>\n

Now 13, Sangwa says he is determined to make the most of his training stint with Al Nasr and take another step towards his dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother first introduced me to karate, but I always loved football because I admired Neymar Jr,\u201d he said. \u201cThe team I played for, Cercle Sportifs, could not take me very far, so one of my relatives helped me join Shining Academy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the opportunity in Dubai, Sangwa added, \u201cI plan to perform well, just as I did at Tony. They trusted me not only because of my skills, but because they believed in me. I will continue to give my best, and by God\u2019s will, when I return, more opportunities will come.\u201d<\/p>\n

{{Kwizera\u2019s passion for football
\n}}<\/p>\n

For Kwizera, football has been part of his life from an early age, shaped largely by his family environment. His father, Ndababonye Jo\u00ebl, is both a football fan and a coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first day I got a football was when my uncle brought one from Kigali,\u201d Kwizera recalled. \u201cI played with my older brother, and at that time, my father was also playing football. We loved watching him. One day, he took me to where he coached, and I played with the under-13s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kwizera narrated that his father later formed a football team, where he continued to develop before joining TFEP.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in that team. Later, I did the trials for Tony Football Excellence Program, passed, and joined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kwizera\u2019s father confirmed that he recognised his son\u2019s talent early, prompting him to create a platform for young players in their community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI founded Green Lovers Academy in 2018 in Muyumbu, Rwamagana, out of my love for football,\u201d Ndababonye said. \u201cThat\u2019s where Kwizera developed his skills and was later recognised by local coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sangwa<\/figure>\n

Kwizera\u2019s mother, Mukeshimana Marie Rose, also believed in her son\u2019s potential, though she admits she worried about the physical risks involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always knew he would become a footballer,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth his father and I love football, and when I saw how committed he was, I told him that one day he would play professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I worried about injuries. Sometimes he would come home hurt, asking for ointment. But despite those moments, I continued to support him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sangwa<\/figure>\n

{{Kwizera\u2019s dream to go further
\n}}<\/p>\n

Kwizera says his ultimate goal is to surpass what his father was unable to achieve in football.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go far and keep improving,\u201d he said. \u201cMy father wanted to play at the highest level, but it did not work out for him. I am working hard to fulfil that dream. I believe that when I return from Dubai, even more opportunities will open up for me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many young footballers, the dream of a professional career begins early. In Rwanda, that dream is increasingly becoming attainable as programmes emerge to nurture talent and create pathways to the international stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000100012,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-56705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000100012,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/untitled-1-81-9658a.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000100012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56705"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=56705"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=56705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}