Phanuel Kavita has seen the other side of life, from the horrors of wars, flying bombs, loaded guns being fired from all directions, denial of freedom and others. All this has shaped his life and it has made him mentally tough.

Born in the Congolese City of Lubumbashi on March 9, 1993 to a Rwandan mother and a Congolese father, Kavita and his family survived the second Congo War which was fought from August 2, 1998 to July 18, 2003. They stayed in several refugee camps before finally moving to the United States.

"We had many close calls with our lives as we were escaping in refugee camps,” recalled Kavita. "I was born in the Republic of the Congo and lived there until the age of eight," he told Clemson Tigers Media in 2012.

"A lot of crazy things were going on in my country (DR Congo). During the turmoil, we saw death, suffering, and other travesties of war. From there, we went to Spain, France, New York, and finally Utah. It’s by our good fortune that we ended up in the U.S.

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"What’s so sad, there were some very good friends and people I knew in our camp who we never heard from again. I still don’t know what happened to them.”

The things Kavita saw and the difficulties he experienced by witnessing war made him mature fast and be brave growing up.

"I feel that my brothers and sisters and I had to grow up faster and be brave. We were very fortunate that my immediate family got out and came to the United States.”

Kavita’s family was at the time living in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father was a cab driver and his mother was working with special-needs youth.

Kavita was discovered while playing football in Utah by coach Mike Noonan and he brought him into his fold at Clemson Tigers for College football.

"When I was playing soccer in Utah, I was afraid no one would find me or offer me a scholarship,” he said. "I was really worried and I kept working harder and harder, then Coach Noonan found me. I was so grateful. I want to get an education and graduate. It would mean so much to my family.

His career

Kavita spent his entire college career at Clemson Tigers. He started all 81 games during his four-year career with the Tigers and led them to an ACC Tournament title in his senior year.

He signed a home grown contract with Real Salt Lake on January 17, 2015. He made his professional debut with USL affiliate club Real Monarchs SLC On March 22 in their goalless draw against LA Galaxy II.

Over a decade down the line, Kavita has reached a great level in his career having played for Real Salt Lake in MLS, Real Monarchs FC, now defunct Puerto Rico FC in the Puerto Rican topflight, Saint Louis FC and Birmingham Legion where he joined in 2021.

He has risen to become the skipper of the side.

What does Kavita bring to Amavubi?

Kavita was eligible to play for Rwanda, DR. Congo and the US but he chose Amavubi as he is set for his first international call up at 32.

The Birmingham Legion skipper will be ideal for Rwanda as, aside Ange Mutsinzi and Thierry Manzi, Amavubi have had only one backup in APR center back Clement Niyigena in recent games.

Both the AFCON and World Cup qualifiers have reached a stage where the players on the bench should be equally good as starters. They can make a difference whenever given a chance to show what they can offer to the nation.

Kavita brings a lot to the team in terms of experience, leadership qualities, attitude and general performance. He is a ball playing centre back who, on top of his impeccable defending, can also start attacks from the back.

Standing at 1.85m, Kavita has a good height for a central defender. According to his former coach Noonan, he is physically very strong, has great leadership qualities and he is very coachable. He is also a very serious player and has a demeanor that brightens your day.

Player Profile

Name: Phanuel Kavita

Date of Birth: March 9, 1993

Place of Birth: Lubumbashi, DR Congo

Current Team: Birmingham Legion

Height: 1.85m

Position: Defender

Number: 3

Youth Career

Real Salt Lake AZ (2010-11)

College

Clemson Tigers (2011-14)

Senior career

2015-16: Real Salt Lake (3 appearances/ 0 goals)

2015-16: on loan Real Monarchs (38 appearances/ 1 goal)

2017: Puerto Rico FC (27 appearances/ 1 goal)

2018-2020: Saint Louis FC (79 appearances/ 3 goals)

2021-now: Birmingham Legion (124 appearances/ 1 goal)