The dream of every player is to represent his country at international football and Manchester United winger Noam Emeran is no exception. The 20-year-old is of Rwandan and Guadeloupean descent who was born in the French city of Paray Le Monial on September 24, 2002. For clarity's sake, Guadeloupe is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean consisting of six inhabited Islands. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s Emeran scores as Man United beat Leeds in preseason friendly Emeran's father Fritz Nkusi is from this Island so technically he was a French before switching allegiance to play for Rwanda after he married a Rwandan woman. With this family background, Emeran can be considered as a pure Rwandan as his father also took up Rwandan nationality and played for the Amavubi from 2005 to 2007. ALSO READ: Noam Emeran: The Rwandan prodigy taking Man Utd preseason by storm Being born in France, Emeran automatically holds a French passport meaning he is eligible to play for both France and Rwanda. It is, however, the European nation that he has represented twice at U16 level which was against Russia on December 19 and December 21, 2017 respectively. Emeran's stock is rising and, this year, he will be 21 years old. This is the time he needs a national team to build up his profile. The youngster has shown potential to rise up to the apex of the game. Both Rwanda and France will love to benefit from his services but it will be up to the player to decide. What are the chances to play for Rwanda? Emeran can walk straight into the Rwandan national team with ease where he would be guaranteed a starting berth as long as he is fit. Rwanda is a football loving country and the country’s doors are open to players of Rwandan descent born abroad. Current Standard Liege midfielder Hakim Sahabo , Glenn Habimana, Gilbert Ishimwe are among a number of Rwandan player who have been given opportunities after being scouted by Times Sport. Emeran, having shown his potential at club level, could be one of the stars who would add value to the Amavubi setup. With the current drop of young players being invited, they can write their own history together in the coming years. Also, Emeran's parents can be the deciding factor if he is to play for Rwanda. Both parents are technically Rwandans and they can convince their son to ditch France and opt for Rwanda. What are the chances of playing for France Emeran's chances of playing for Les Blues will depend on whether he breaks into the Manchester United senior team, stand enough game time and performs well at the top level. With that, his chances of being called by Didier Deschamps would be likely. With his performances now fitting the Manchester United U21 who play in the Premier League, Emeran is far from earning a call up in the French senior national team. His feasible call up would be the French U21 team under coach Sylvain Rippoli which makes him still eligible for Rwanda. In the nutshell, Rwanda’s football governing body (FERWAFA) , the Ministry of Sports, and Rwanda coach Carlos Alos Ferrer should schedule a meeting with the family of Emeran to help them convince their son to be part of Amavubi project, starting with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. With players like Emeran, Rwanda can qualify for the World Cup if they embark on good planning. France is a big football nation with a vast pool of exceptional talents but Rwanda is alway ready to give Emeran an opportunity to write his own story and be a national hero just like the likes of AFCON 2004 heroes.
