Born on April 26, 1996 in Nairobi, Kenya to a Rwandan father Aloys Rubasha and Kenyan mother Rouz Rubasha, Yves Rubasha has spent the last 18 years of his life following his football dream across the world and this week it brought him to Rwanda, his ancestral home.

The soft-spoken lad fell in love with the beautiful game at the tender age of three and at six years, he enrolled into county academies in Sydney, Australia where his family relocated when he was three. He has since seen his talent and determination guide him through the ranks over the years.

"I love football. Since my childhood, it has been football, football, football. My family, they all love football so in the house it has always been football and that is why I love it and play it.

We would sit down and talk football with my Dad and go to the park and kick the ball around. He liked tennis as well and took me to play tennis but I didn’t know how to play because I didn’t like it,” explains Rubasha.

Early football career

Rubasha played for San Souci U-6s through to the U-10s before joining St George for the U-11s and U-12s representing his county, and his superb skill earned him an opportunity to train at the David Beckham academy in London in 2009 when he was 12. It gave him exposure and prepared him for what lay ahead as he propelled himself towards playing professional football.

Thereafter, it was never rosy as he returned to Sydney and was told that he was very short for the U-14s, U-15s and U-16s, but he never gave up.

He narrates that, "Teams never used to pick me. They used to tell me, ‘You are too small and you are not good enough.’ I used to go home and cry because they are not picking me. I suffered that for quite a few years, but I just kept working because I loved the game.

Every single day, I would train, train and train. It would hurt as a kid. Other kids would quit but I kept doing it because I loved it and I have always seen myself playing at the highest level.”

He continued training and made the Banks town U-18s in 2013. In March 2014, Rubasha travelled to the USA for trials with the Portland Timbers U-18s, an American professional football club that features in the Major League Soccer (MLS), the topflight league in the USA.

But unfortunately, he failed the trials and was told that if he wanted to feature for them, he needed to be way better than the American players.

"I came all the way from Australia. I didn’t make the teams, what was I going to do now? Go back to Australia? It was a very sad time. I was disappointed but I kept training. I didn’t give up. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.”

Long awaited breakthrough

Rubasha kept hope alive and went back to London to visit his family. He continued training every day and luckily enough he got a call up by San Jose Earthquakes in California, another MLS side for a month’s training trial.

"I went a month early and stayed with my good friend Saalih Mohammed, also a football player who inspired me a lot. We would train every single day so when the trial came, the first day I made the team.

 I was so happy because this is everything that I worked for. I was prepared, I was ready, I went in and they picked me and a couple of months later, Portland Timbers told me I could come in and that is where I am right now,” says Rubasha as he narrates with a warm smile of contentment.

He looks at this as a good pathway to bigger achievements and is enjoying playing at this level that comes with getting equipment from sponsors like Adidas.

"It is just great to be in a professional environment, the facilities, the stadium, flying….. they pay for everything,” explains the wowed teenager.

As luck would be on his side, Rubasha received an email from the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) asking him if he would like to be a part of the U-23 national team to face Somalia today!

"I could not believe it. I called my Dad in Australia and asked him, ‘Dad, have you seen this? I was shocked! He was so happy. I couldn’t sleep that night. I think I went to bed at 5am.

It is funny how my trainer had told me weeks earlier that ‘My goal for you is to play for the national team. That’s your goal and that is what I want you to work for. So when I got that email, I went on my knees and thanked God.’”

Yves arrived in Kigali on Tuesday night and straight away joined the rest of the team at La Palisse Nyandungu where the team has been in residential camp since Monday.

 "Being the youngest player here, I think the future is bright. If I stay humble and I keep working hard, the sky is the limit. God willing, I will play for the national team. That is my dream.”

Rubasha has caught the attention of Rwanda head coach Johnny McKinstry who has been impressed in the three days he has trained with the side that will face Somalia in today’s CAF U-23 qualifier.

McKinstry said, "He has done well since he came in which is good for a young boy. He is only 18 and this is the first time he’s been to Rwanda. It is a very good experience for him. I think his level of performance in the last three days has been good.

I think there is more to come from him as he settles in and he learns the language. I think long term, he is definitely going to be a part of our plans and we will see how much he plays in these coming games but we are in no rush.

The point of bringing him was part of the medium to long term plan. He may have a role to play on Saturday (today) but if he doesn’t he will still be part of our midterm and long term plans.”

The full back who wants to emulate Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho has already impressed with his speed on the wing and wants to be a part of McKinstry’s attacking football philosophy by creating goal scoring opportunities for goal-shy Rwandan teams. Very comfortable with the ball, Rubasha has shown that his ability to cut into the box from both the right and left gives McKinstry options out wide.

Rubasha wants to follow in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather Jonathan Niva, a Kenyan football legend who played for AFC Leopards (then Abaluhya FC) winning the league title in 1966, 1967, 1970 and 1973, two Kenya Cup titles (1967 & 1968) and helped the club reach the semi-finals of the African club champions cup in their debut season in 1968.

He also helped them win the 1968 East African Challenge Cup (now CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup). Niva was also part of the East Africa XI that played against West Brom Albion in 1968 in Kampala.

Niva rewrote history in 1972 as player coach for the Kenya national team at the Africa Cup of Nations becoming the first Kenyan player to score a goal for the Harambee Stars.

Despite failing to make it to the semi-finals following a 2-1 loss to Cameroon and 1-1 draws with Mali and Togo, Niva became the player of the tournament for his individual brilliance netting two goals.

In the domestic league, he netted 27 times despite occupying a defensive position and was named national player of the year.

It is such history that Rubasha wants to replicate with the Amavubi and just like McKinstry, Rubasha believes that the future is bright for him as he continues to work hard.