APR FC defender Ismail Nshutinamagara captained the military side to a record 14th league title last month. Nshutinamagara is a supporter of Manchester United and Brazilian national team which he believes will take the World Cup. When asked which player is likely to shine at the forthcoming Fifa World Cup in Brazil he said Real Madrid and Argentina’s Angel Di Maria is the star to watch.

Nshutinamagara aka Kodo has always been passionate about football. "I always played my role well during my schools days.  I captained College Inyemeramihigo to the boys’ football title in  the national inter-schools’ championship in 2002,” he recalls.

In 2003, he won the national junior championship title with Rubavu-based football academy coached by Viguree Mungo. "Mungo helped me very much.  He was a good mentor. I’m always grateful for what he has done for me and many other youngsters from Rubavu,” he says.

Top flight career

In 2004, Nshutinamagara joined Rubavu-based topflight division side Marines FC but the club struggled for most of that season and just survived relegation.

Kodo moved on and signed a two-year contract with Kiyovu SC for two seasons (2004/2005 and 2005/2006). During those two seasons with Kiyovu, which was then coached by Kishi Sogonya, the club won the Primus Cup title in 2006.

In late 2006, he signed for the then national league newcomers Atraco FC (now defunct) for two seasons.

He helped the club to finish second in their debut season before he captained them to the league title in 2008.

APR career

After winning the league title with Atraco in 2008, he was snapped by Atraco’s closest rivals APR where he has been ever since and calls the club his family.

Nshutinamagara has won five league titles with APR, including this ending season’s league that he won as a team captain.

The other league title came in 2009, 2010, 2011and 2012. He also won the Peace Cup in 2010, 2011 and 2012 as well as the 2010 Cecafa Kagame Cup title.

"Signing for APR was a dream comes true, I’m happy at the club. At APR, I found what I had missed elsewhere (winning trophies),” he told Saturday Sport.

He added, "In fact, APR is my family. They treat me like a son at home. What humbles me most is the way they stayed by my side, cared about me and paid me throughout when I spent a season and a half nursing an injury during the 2009/2010 season.”

International career

The hard-tackling defender played for the U20 team in 2004, U23 in 2005 and received his first senior cap in 2006. His first match in the senior team was against Liberia, which Rwanda lost 2-0.  

Since his first cap at the senior team, he kept his place on the national team. It was only in 2009 and part of 2010 when an injury forced him off the starting lineup.

When asked about memorable matches of his career in Amavubi Stars, he mentioned the 3-1 victory over Morocco in 2010 and the recent 3-0 against Libya.

How do colleagues describe him?

Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza, his teammate at APR and national team since 2007 said, "On the pitch, he (Nshutinamagara) is a perfect partner. He always wants the best for the team; he is a hard worker, motivator. Such quality players are hard to find.”

Players with whom he enjoyed playing

Asked what players he has enjoyed playing with as team mates, he mentioned Olivier Karekezi, Mbuyu Twite, Albert Ngabo and Hegman Ngomirakiza.

Who is Nshutinamagara?

Nshutinamagara was born on May 11, 1983 in Rubavu district (formerly Gisenyi) to Ali Habiyaremye and Marrian Bazuwagira (both alive).

He is the fifth-born child from a family of nine children (5 boys and 4 girls). He is married to Idiah Nsabimana with whom they have a four-year old daughter Ramia Igihozo.

The 31-year-old Nshutinamagara attended Rubavu-based Gacuba I primary school before going to College Inyemeramihigo also of Rubavu district for his six years of secondary school. He pursued Commerce and Accounting in A’level and completed in 2003.

The soft-spoken Nshutinamagara dropped out of Independent University of Kigali (ULK) after one year.   His wife is a third year student at the same university.  The full back defender plans to go back to school when his wife graduates.