KIGALI - Prime Minister Bernard Makuza bid farewell to the national U-17 football team ‘Junior Wasps’, encouraging them to maintain discipline.

The team left for England yesterday, where it will play against the English premiership club’s U-18 side Tottenham Hotspur.

The teams would also play other games in Germany before jetting to Mexico for the Fifa U-17 World Cup. 

"You worked so hard to get where you are today and it’s that commitment and discipline that should identify you when representing the country,” Makuza said.

"As a team, you should use this as a foundation to get to another level in transforming football in this country,” he added.

The U-17 World Cup tourney will run from June 10 –July 18. The team’s captain Emery Bayisenge said it was inspirational to meet the Prime Minister before departure.

"We shall work together as it has always been and we are also delighted by government commitment in supporting us and football in general,” Bayisenge said.

The team’s coach, Richard Tardy, said that although the team has been undergoing training, it was a task that calls for extra effort.

"It is the first time that Rwanda will participate in the world cup, so it’s a challenge we need to confront with determination and commitment,” he said.

Rwanda is among four African U-17 teams that will participate in this year’s World Cup. Others are Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

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