We should guard against over-hyping the boys

Qualifying for the world cup is no simple achievement, which is why the Junior Wasps team need a special pat on the back, but as the praises keep flowing, we should guard against over-hyping them or else the boys will be overwhelmed, which could affect them, and their careers. Richard Tardy, his backroom staff and the players deserved every single bit of praise they’re getting for not only reaching the African Youth Championships but also qualifying for the Fifa World Cup, which will be held in Mexico later in the year. Playing in the world cup is history in it’s self because it’s the first time the country is going to play in a major international soccer competition, but also that same history will have that Rwanda was the first African team to qualify for the 2011 Fifa U-17 World Cup. I will tell my grandchildren that I was there when Rwanda’s U-17 team qualified for the 2011 world cup albeit at the youth level, but further more significantly, I’ll proudly tell them that I was there when Africa staged the Fifa World Cup in 2010. Every talented young footballer suffers from over-hyping at one point of his career or another. When that player is 17 or less or thereabout and making good progress, that hype is exaggerated further, which is why I’m starting to fear for the good careers of most of the Junior Wasps’ players. Don’t get me wrong, because I was (and still) excited not just that our team will be in the pot when the draws for the Fifa U-17 World Cup are made but most importantly because, with this lot, Rwandans can have their hopes for their football back. The later factor is very important because most people had given up on local football, specifically with the national team, which they think gives little or no hope in terms of winning things. But now, with the seeds of youth development starting to bear fruits, as we can all see in the U-17 side and the animation and buzz it has created in the last week or so, it is not all lost with Rwandan football after all—there could be some light at the end of the tunnel, me thinks. When the Junior Wasps beat Burkina Faso in the opening game of the 9th African Youth U-17 Championship, there was little thrill, actually very few people talked of how good Tardy’s boys are (or were), but the win over Egypt’s Young Pharaohs just about brought out every once of emotion from the fans. We all celebrated, danced, sang, hugged and again hugged as if we had never hugged before when the referee blew the final whistle, which signaled that Rwanda had indeed qualified for the world cup, yet my worst fear became a reality in the last group game against pointless Senegal, which they, as I had feared, lost. After only two wins and a place in the last four, plus a ticket to Mexico, the fans started to rate the boys so highly that the hype seemed to get to their heads. In fact, if the boys don’t improve on their performance against Senegal, beating Ivory Coast in the semifinals for a place in the final could be a distant dream, and the animation that came with qualifying for the world cup, may just be that, and for our chances in Mexico, watch the space. nku78@yahoo.com