Alain Fiston Ishimwe, Erirohe Yangiriyeneza and Jean Claude Dushime, three Rwandan football hopefuls from Musanze-based Tony Football Excellence Program's academy, are in Portugal for two-week professional trials with Portuguese Primeira Division side Rio Ave FC.

The trial deal was brokered by the Tony Football Excellence Program which, in conjunction with the Ministry of Sports in Rwanda, has been focusing on football talent development by educating children in sports since 2022.

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Ishimwe and Yangiriyeneza, both 18, and Dushime, 15, left for Portugal on Monday, December 2, where they will spend two weeks with Rio Ave for the trials after which they hope to sign a professional contract with the club in the January transfer window.

They will spend days with the club’s youth team, "Rioavistas", and train with their under 19 side to give the club’s technical team time to assess them.

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Yangiriyeneza is not knew to top level football, having played for Rwanda U20 in the 2024 CECAFA Tournament in Tanzania. He also previously trained with GD Estoril Praia in Portugal.

Rio Ave have over the past years played a key role in the development of African football talents including the late Christian Atsu from Ghana. They currently sit ninth in the Portuguese top tier league known as Primeira Division.