Isonga Football Academy set for Cote d’Ivoire tourney

Isonga Football Academy have put together 23 players to start preparations ahead of taking part in the Tournoi International du District Autonome d’Abidjan (TIDA) slated for November 30 to December 6 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. According to head coach Moussa Gatera, the summoned players will boost the academy’s ambition of staging a good show at tournament which will pit U-18 players. The summoned players come from different clubs and academies. Isonga, which forms the core part of the U-17 national team, is starting the process of recruiting new players from local academies and talent detection centers across the country. Gatera believes that it will also open doors for all talented players who will be taking part in the tournament on behalf of our country to play, and face top African football talents. Team will start non-residential preparations on October 30 with all the summoned players and all our training sessions will be held at FERWAFA turf until November 12. Then from November 13, team will have a residential camp of the final 18 players who will take part in the tournament. Isonga will shift their training sessions to Amahoro National Stadium on November 27 to 28 before departing for Abidjan on November 29. Gatera named players from Marines, APR academy, SC Kiyovu, Musanze, Heroes academy, Unity Sports Club, Dream Team and Vision Fc respectively. Besides Rwanda, the tournament will attract other youth football academies from Spain, Morocco, Ghana, Belgium, Austria, France and hosts Côte d’Ivoire. Isonga started with the pool of players that participated in Africa U17 Youth Championships held in Rwanda and later at the World Cup finals tournament in Mexico, in order for the country to have a large pool of young players to feed the big clubs. Isonga was founded in 2011 as a composition of players, who played in the U-17 African Youth Championships and the FIFA World Cup. The team was promoted to the U-20 level and registered to play in the national league without going through the second division. Under, Eric Nshimiyimana, Isonga FC finished in sixth position in its debut season in the 2011/12 season but failed to maintain that impressive form the next campaign, which saw them relegated to the second-tier league. Isonga provisional squad: Marines: Emmanuel Iradukunda, Christian Ishimwe and Patrick Mugisha. APR FC Academy: Fiston Ishimwe, Shaffy Songayire, Fiacre Ntwali and Innocent Bakundukize. SC Kiyovu: Janvier Bonane and Aime Placide Uwineza. Musanze FC: Jean Paul Nduwayezu. Heroes Academy: David Tuyishime, Jackson Mudacumura and Guilain Uwimana. Unity Sports Club: Marc Nkubana, Tresor Ndabarasa, Peter Turatsinze, Henry Butare, Prosper Rugangazi and Claude Ishimwe. Dream Team: Saleh Ishimwe. Vision FC: Lague Byiringiro and Zouberi Hakizimana. editorial@newtimes.co.rw