Haruna made the right decision

By joining Young Africans [Yanga to most if us], Haruna Niyonzima has made probably the best decision of his career, [you call it the best move], but this is more than just a footballer’s transfer from one club to another, it’s beyond that. For so long the pint-sized midfielder had wanted to try his luck outside Rwanda, to fulfill every footballer’s dream of playing professionally—finally, he’s realized his dream. Maybe not the big dream of playing in Europe, but at last he can add a foreign club to his CV. He will never go down in history as best footballer or midfielder to ever come out of Rwandan football, but Niyonzima has grown from being a raw talent with Etincelles to a full Rwandan international and captain. Niyonzima is one of Rwanda’s ‘Brazilians’ [player hailing from Rubavu, formerly Gisenyi] and is surely one of the most naturally gifted players Rwanda has ever produced. He is one of the fittest and most hardworking players I have seen in local football. From the little known environs of Etincelles, Haruna earned his initial dream of playing for APR via Rayon Sports in 2007 where he spent one season. He went on to become a key player for the military side, alongside Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza. Haruna’s move to the Tanzanian club could be his break through to possibly bigger things, but this will definitely depend on the player himself, if he really wants to achieve more than just playing for Yanga. Without taking anything away from APR or any other Rwandan club, Yanga is an upward move for any of the current crop of Rwandan players. Yanga is one of the two biggest teams in Tanzanian football, along Simba Sports Club. The two archrivals are based in Dar Es Salaam, they both enjoy massive followings and I’m sure Haruna will take this opportunity with two hands. It has been long coming. A key figure for the Rwanda national team, Haruna has tried his luck in Europe over the years but without any success—you could say it has been very frustrating for him. He’s been to France (twice), Sweden, Germany and Switzerland for trails. At APR, he wasn’t becoming any better, at least we can agree on this. There is absolutely nothing more he was adding to his game as the star man for the club. Actually, at 20 years, if indeed this is his right age, Haruna is not supposed to have peaked, but because he has been around the scene for a considerable time, playing at the top level, we were beginning to see it like he could not improve anymore. But with change of scenery and a new challenge, maybe he could become a better player, which can only be good not only for him but the national team as well. The Tanzanian league is stronger than ours here, there are more scouts there than here and he’s going to earn more than he’s ever earned before. Unlike when he as at APR, and this is the bitter truth, Haruna is now more likely to have chances of joining another bigger or better club [than Yanga], possibly in Europe on South Africa. APR, because they know they’re the big bull in the kraal and can do whatever they feel like with players, dithered with his contract thinking he would play to their tune. They surely must be disillusioned now that they’ve lost an important player for nothing. With a reported sign-on fee of USD30, 000 and a monthly salary of USD1, 500 plus other bonuses for the next two years; Haruna has already hit a jackpot, at least by a Rwandan player’s standards playing in this region The player is yet to reach his prime, and no one can say his best years are behind him. On the contrary, at Yanga, and playing for a coach [Sam Timbe] who seems to know a thing or two about him, only he [Haruna] will be his own enemy. nku78@yahoo.com