The Ministry of Sports last week announced that some 20 aspiring young football talents who were part of those selected to join the prestigious academy had been disqualified due to age-fixing.

A parent of one of the dismissed youngsters, however, claimed that his son was unfairly dismissed in a development that sparked a debate on social media.

In an interview with Weekend Sport, Jules Karangwa, the Spokesperson of the Rwandan Football governing body (FERWAFA), shed light on the rigorous requirements set in place to join the academy of the German football giants.

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Age criteria

Football talents are eligible to join the academy only if they aged between 12 and 13 years.

This decision stems from the understanding that these young players will spend five crucial developmental years at the academy. The goal is to release them at the peak of their abilities, around 17 or 18 years of age, when they are best suited to embark on their professional careers.

Karangwa said that, "we are committed to ensuring there is no age manipulation that could jeopardize their international prospects."

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Identity verification

Parents were mandated to provide comprehensive identification for their children to confirm their Rwandan nationality and age eligibility.

Talent assessment

As far as 'talent detection' is concerned, Karangwa said the selection of football prospects for the academy revolves around identifying children with exceptional talent in football.

Given the academy's prominence, he said, countless children eagerly sought to become a part of it. To secure the top 30 positions, we conducted extensive talent scouting across five different districts.

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He further explained, "during the scouting process, our goal was to identify 30 promising young players. Initially, we shortlisted 43 prospects and an additional seven reserves. Of the 43, 24 candidates passed the background check, while the remaining individuals were not found in the National Identification Agency (NIDA) database.

To ensure thorough verification, additional credentials were requested. Through our investigations, we discovered some parents attempting to alter their children's birth dates. Ultimately, we were able to confirm the ages of five children, and one more was selected from the reserves, completing the pool of 30 talented children."

During a press briefing held on August 29, Minister of Sports Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju dismissed speculations regarding a covert selection process for the children joining the academy.

"With the contract now signed, our immediate focus shifts to identifying young talents for the academy. It is crucial to clarify that the children featured in the promotional video are, in fact, actors, and the formal talent selection process for the academy is yet to commence."

The Bayern Munich Academy was established this year as part of a partnership between Rwanda and German football giants Bayern Munich FC.

The academy has been working to recruit youngsters under the age of 13 as it gets ready to start its operations.