Ferwafa need to invest in the next generation

Last weekend, Amavubi blew up their chance of qualifying to the second round of the 2014 World Cup qualifier following a 1-2 loss to Mali on home turf.Despite the loss, a cross-section of fans left the stadium saying ‘We believe’ in the team which was faced the mighty Western Africans. Many questioned why of all in the past matches, head coach Milutin Sredojovic Micho had not taken this much time to summon the crop of players against Nigeria during the 2013 Africa Nations Cup qualifier.Even if the Amavubi team went on to fluff their lines against Mali, there was a symbol which depicted a general feeling of hope and optimism and it summed up the support the country had for their national team.It was probably the first time in recent years that people got behind the national team again despite so many disappointments and sadness it has brought onto to them.Their performances certainly had a massive influence on the wave of support the team enjoyed. After a few tweaks in personnel and to the game plan, following a stuttering performance against Algeria and Benin both in Group H in the World Cup qualifiers, Amavubi actually looked like a team and a unit, something we haven’t quite seen in a long time.There seems to be plenty of light at the end of the tunnel for the national team. But while we are still gutted about Amavubi’s exit though they are three more matches to play, what is Ferwafa doing to develop the next generation of Rwandan football stars?The problem at the moment is that the country doesn’t have world-class players because of a lack of development structures at grassroots level.There is this misperception that the Primus National Football League is a strong league, at a level where we can pick a competitive Amavubi team made up of only locally-based players. But while the league is some how strong on the financial front, the quality has been poor over the last few years.And it was no surprise that ten of Amavubi team players against Mali are based abroad, albeit the fact that some don’t even quite feature in their leagues.We still have young talents in our local league, who would have great international careers if well natured. Unfortunately, most Rwandan footballers start to show potential only in their mid-20s and tend to peak in their late twenties and early 30s.This is too late, as they would have found that their overseas boats sailed already.The fact that players developing so late in their careers has got a lot to do with the lack of specialized coaching at age-group levels. Many people tend to be convinced that we can qualify for Africa Cup or World Cup, with the amount of raw talent we have at our disposal. But, unlike the African powerhouses, only a few players get scouted, while many others fall through the net.Ferwafa needs to invest in the next generation of players because, for all the heart and passion the current crop of Amavubi players showed, they just aren’t good enough to compete with the rest of Africa, never mind the world.Mali’s 2-1 over Rwanda in the third Group H match last weekend should be a sober reminder of this.Amavubi team made us ‘believe’ for a brief moment last Sunday and even warmed our souls with moments of breathtaking football, but the reality of the matter is not fiction.