The fanatics changing the face of women football

A FEW years back, football was a male dominated sport thanks to the cultural barriers that existed. Rwandan women were not allowed to play football because it was an abomination for a woman to lift her legs –in anyway- in public. In schools, boys’ football teams existed, but a girl’s team was unheard of. Thanks to the gender mainstreaming initiative in all sectors, women got out of their shells and embraced the sport, and now, we even have our own national football team, the Amavubi National Football Team (The She-Wasps). As we continue to support different countries playing in the World Cup, Doreen Umutesi looks at some of Rwanda’s most football crazy women and the factors that drew them to the game. Grace Nyinawumuntu, Amavubi National Women Team Head Coach Besides being the Head Coach for the Amavubi national women team, Nyinawumuntu is the Head Coach for the AS Kigali Women Football Club, the six-time winners of the National Women League. In 2013, Nyinawumuntu was awarded by Diva Africa Awards Limited for her role in developing women’s football in Rwanda. Before taking on coaching, Nyinawumuntu was among the first Rwandan female football referees. “In 2002, after completing secondary school, I requested to join Camp Kigali’s Urumuri Football Club but before I even made it to the team, I decided to play for the Nyamirambo District women’s football team as a central defender and I was lucky to be selected to be on the team that represented Kigali City at the time. Unfortunately in 2004 I got a knee injury and I could not play anymore,” Nyinawumuntu says. Her passion for sports led her to Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) where she pursued Bachelors in Sports. “When I graduated in 2007, I heard that there was a plan of setting up a Women’s National Team. I felt I was capable and that’s how I started the journey of pursuing my goal of being a national coach.” Nyinawumuntu was also part of the team that founded the six-time winners of the National Women‘s League AS Kigali women’s football club and she has been its only coach since inception. In the ongoing World Cup, she supports Brazil, Ghana and Germany. “But I mostly concentrate on the coaching tactics of several coaches since it helps me as a coach. As for international clubs I’m a Chelsea supporter mainly because it’s coached by my favourite coach Jose Mourinho,” Nyinawumuntu says. --------------------------- Sifa Gloria Nibagwire – Captain, She Wasps The AS Kigali defender is a senior-six student at Solidarity Academy where she majors in accounting. She started playing football in 2008 while in primary school. “I used to escort my elder brother to the football field carrying water for him. I enjoyed how they played and its form here that I developed the desire to play football,” Nibagwire narrates. The 20-year-old Nibagwire who is the captain of the She-Amavubi team says that she always wanted to be a professional footballer. “I can say that I’m living my childhood dream because I play for the national team, I think that’s every football player’s wish. Representing your country in international games is the greatest achievement for any player and I’m glad I have been given that opportunity,” Nibagwire says. She supports three teams in the 2014 World Cup Brazil, Ghana and Spain, and is also a supporter of Manchester United in the English Premier League. -------------------------- Usher Komugisha, Communication director, Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee Usher Komugisha has been a sports journalist for several media outlets, especially in Rwanda and Uganda. She worked at The New Times as a sports writer before joining The Rwanda Focus as a sports editor. Her journalism career in Sports was fuelled by her love for sports, especially football. She is a Manchester United die hard and even owns a Manchester jersey with her name on it. “I think I fell in love with football in 1997. I was in high school and we had an inter-house competition and were asked to form a football team to compete. I joined the team and played as a defender,” Komugisha recalls. When asked which team she supports, she says: “Locally I don’t have a team I support because it goes against the ethics of my profession as a journalist but as for international clubs, I’m a Manchester United fan.” She adds that in the 2014 World Cup she supports Netherlands because it’s being coached by Manchester United Manager Louis van Gaal. ----------------------------- Fausta Gisa, Sports Analyst on Lemigo Television The eloquent Fausta Gisa hosts a sports show known as ‘Half Time Show’on Lemigo Television that airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00-9:00pm. Although the show started airing this year in March, Gisa initially hosted a sports show which was commonly known as Amazing Sports on Amazing Grace Radio. “I’m so passionate about sports especially football although in high school I played basketball,” Gisa says. She played basketball for Groupe Scolaire Notre Dame De Lourdes while in secondary school. In regards to which football team she supports she says: “As a sports analyst and a journalist I’m not supposed to support any team. I have to be neutral. If I revealed a team I support then my audience will feel like I’m biased while doing team analysis on my show.” ------------------------- Félicité Rwemalika, President of Women Commission of Football in the National Football Federation (ferwafa). Rwemalika has been at the helm of women’s football in Rwanda. She was involved in initiating the introduction of the National Women League and the formation of the AS Kigali Women Football Club. “I never got the chance to play football although my father was a football player. I grew up in an era where football was considered a sport for only the boys, which was so dispiriting. But that didn’t take away my passion for the sport. I decided that if I can’t play, I can do something to motivate young girls to take on the sport,” Rwemalika narrates. She adds, “Today, I’m happy women’s football is growing and the future looks bright.”She is a supporter of Cameroon in the 2014 World Cup. She is also a Manchester United supporter. On the local scene she does not support any particular club. “I’m not a fan of any local club because of my role in building the sport and neutrality is paramount,” Rwemalika reveals. Rwemalika is the founder of the Association of Kigali Women Football (Akwos), which spearheads the promotion of local women referees and coaches. Akwos was founded in 1997 with the aim of reaching out to women through football but it attained its legal status in 2001. It also played an active role in the establishment of the National Women Football League in 2008.