Kamanzi's dream to see Rwanda beyond Afcon

Moses Kamanzi is a U.S-based Rwandan football coach (kids’ academies) and recently he was in the country for a short holiday. He answered a few questions from Time Sports’ Bryan Kimenyi about Rwandan soccer, the academies and his work. Below are the excerpts. Who is Moses Kamanzi? I am Rwandan born in Uganda, like most returnees; I came to Rwanda in 1995. I completed my High school education in Rwanda. When did you begin coaching? Well, I began coaching about 9 years ago in the USA. Was it your childhood dream? You know, as a child every kid has a dream, some dreams have family attachments, education background and the surrounding environment can influence dreams. But if we are talking in terms of football, then I always wanted to see myself play for Manchester United. That was a huge dream. What inspired you to take up such a profession? Well, when I left Rwanda to USA, Rwanda had just featured in the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, so those were moments of joy and happiness to all Rwandans. So many patriotic Rwandans knew how big an achievement that was. That inspired me to join other people and start training kids so that we can have well trained players who can compete at any level. I am sure one day Rwanda will go beyond African Cup of Nations. Tell us about US Soccer academies? The academies in the USA are quite different from the ones I have visited either in Europe or Africa. In the USA academies are aligned in Conferences: North, West, East, South, and Central conferences. In each Conference, there are about 9-10 Academies in respective divisions. They have kids starting at 4 years of age to 15 years where they start joining MLS or College teams. Do you know anything about Rwandan soccer academies? Definitely, I do. Rwandan football is always on my heart. I watch every game that Amavubi plays either online, and or other forms of media. Rwanda’s academies are coming up and they are doing a wonderful job. People have a million expectations, but of course results are not just going to come up in one day. I have seen Rwandan kids in these academies playing, they are promising. All we need is to keep up the effort and support them. What is your coaching style or philosophy? I am glad you asked this question. People have a misconception about coaching. They think coaching is winning. Yes, winning is I know part of the package, but my style of coaching is to develop skills at an early age. This is the foundation of the game. Without skills, we can’t go further. By strengthening skills and empowering youngsters with confidence then we can achieve our goals of winning trophies. What should be done to improve the state of youth academies in the country? Rwandan academies are doing a wonderful job! Doing too much with less resources. To me that is a big achievement. Of course we need more efforts in terms of training and technical support. Is the football federation and the ministry of sports doing enough to promote football? Compared to other Federations in the Great Lakes Region, Ferwafa is doing a tremendous job. I know there are a lot of expectations and demands from the fans, but a lot has been done and Rwandan football is not in bad shape. I would give credit to the Federation whatsoever. Kamanzi (standing first right) was goal keeper during his time as a footballer. This picture of the Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) team was taken in 2002 before they played the National Univeristy of Rwanda. (Courtesy) During your short visit to Rwanda, did you discuss anything about improving the sport with football officials here? I had a tight schedule, actually, I missed one of my appointments with a federation official to discuss about the Academy and Coaching related issues. I am sure things will go well next time. Do you plan to continue coaching in the US or do you plan to return here? I am planning to return home (Rwanda) soon. I have talked to other partners, former Amavubi players who are interested in establishing academies and step in coaching career. I will definitely like to be part of that big group with an idea of changing football from a local level to an international platform. Describe some of the best and worst experiences of your coaching career. Coaching is too demanding, on the other side it’s a huge responsibility because people are expecting you to deliver positively. For the last 9 years of my coaching career, I have seen it all. The worst side is if you lose your potential players because of injuries…that means you’re going to change a lot on your roaster, which may affect results. Another worst experience is losing a game at the last minute…..That’s when heart attacks are inevitable!! However, when you lift a trophy at the end of the season, there are no words to describe that moment; it’s the most rewarding side of this career. What other sports or activities do you enjoy coaching, playing or practicing? I liked boxing when Mike Tyson was still in the ring. Those days are gone! I still play soccer on weekends especially with other coaches. I would say I haven’t thrown away my boots yet. Who inspired you most in life to do whatever you do? I would say my Uncle, Louis Kamanzi is an inspiration to me. He has always encouraged anyone to work hard, be patriotic and be part of something big that can change the world. I am so proud of him!