Rwanda internationals Usengimana Danny and Emmanuel Imanishimwe, better known as “Mangwende,” have launched a youth football academy aimed at grooming the next generation of players.
The Bright Football Academy, based in Rugende, Kicukiro District, has already enrolled 150 youngsters, including 25 girls, 25 boys under age 10 and about 100 players under 20.
Head coach Eric Habimana, who has more than two decades of experience in developing talent, said the academy was born out of the players’ desire to give back to the sport and prepare their successors.
“These players wanted to know how they could help nurture football talent,” Habimana said. “They are the ones providing everything — footballs, training cones, bibs and jerseys for different competitions.”
Habimana has coached several players who went on to the national team, including Usengimana Faustin, Usengimana Danny and Imanishimwe. He said the academy has signed agreements with parents to ensure continuity if the young athletes rise to prominence.
For Usengimana, who has played for Isonga FC, Police FC, Singida Black Stars, APR FC and now resides in Canada, the academy fulfils a long-held dream.
“Our first dream was to launch the academy, and now the next step is finding sustainable funding so that it delivers long-term results,” he said. “We built this idea from our shared experiences and from the influence of our childhood coach, who remains deeply involved.”
Imanishimwe, a left-back currently playing for AEL Limassol in Cyprus after stints with AS Kigali, Rayon Sports, APR FC and AS FAR of Morocco, said the vision goes beyond youth training.
“We plan to expand, find partners and even branch into other sports,” Usengimana said. “Eventually, we want to build teams that can compete in Rwanda’s top divisions.”
With support from their own careers and a growing enrolment of young players, the two Amavubi stars say Bright Football Academy is just the beginning of their long-term investment in Rwandan football.
