Highlights: The Paris Saint-Germain club has renewed for another three years its partnership with "Visit Rwanda" In parallel with this agreement, PSG opened in 2020 an academy to train young Rwandan players. 207 children, girls and boys between 6 and 16 years old, were selected in their school by coaches trained by PSG. The goal of the program is to create a new generation of professional players in the country. The academy hopes to repeat the feat next June in the PSG World Cup of Academies.

The Paris Saint-Germain club has renewed for another three years its partnership with "Visit Rwanda", initially signed in 2019. In parallel with this agreement, PSG opened in 2020 an academy...

With its academy in Huye, PSG hopes to train new Rwandan footballers

The former PSG Rai player trains with young players from the Huye academy on November 27, 2027 (illustration image). AFP - SIMON WOHLFAHRT

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The Paris Saint-Germain club has renewed for another three years its partnership with "Visit Rwanda", initially signed in 2019. In parallel with this agreement, PSG opened in 2020 an academy to train young Rwandan players, in the city of Huye, in the south of the country.

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With our special envoy in Huye, Lucie Mouillaud

The PSG academy of Huye is in full training before the friendly match of the weekend. Christian, 15, is one of the last recruits. A point guard, he says he likes to "play in combination with long passes and dribbling." His dream: "to become a professional player" to improve his career and his future.

In total, 207 children, girls and boys between 6 and 16 years old, were selected in their school by coaches trained by PSG. The goal of the program is to create a new generation of professional players in the country. "Here, the children of the academy have the chance to have a lot of material, to follow the international program established by Paris Saint-Germain. They have coaches who are qualified and we hope that within five years, we will have players, whether in France, Spain, America or all over the world, "says Theonas Ndanguza, the director of the academy.

Last week, the Parisian club and "Visit Rwanda" renewed their partnership until 2025, encouraging news for Rwandan football according to the director. "This allows us to move forward with the children's training, to have a vision that is really distant and to achieve the goals of the academy."

Winners of the PSG World Cup of Academies

Next month, the young Rwandan players will participate for the second time in Paris in the PSG Academies World Cup. A competition they won last year in the under-13 category. The academy hopes to repeat the feat next June. The technical director, Grace Nyinawumuntu, talks about a very important event: "Every year, we have the chance to participate in a competition where children meet different sports agents. In five, seven years, I want to have two or three players at PSG's training centre."

One of the objectives is also to train young people at the best level who could then be selected for national junior teams or professional clubs. According to director Theonas Nadanguza, the extension of the contract between PSG and "Visit Rwanda" allows to have a better vision, in the long term, for young players. A visit of officials of the Parisian club is also planned at the academy on May 28.

The partnership between PSG and Rwanda is a success. It is a success in terms of exposure for Rwanda, in line with what had already been done with Arsenal.

With its academy in Huye, PSG hopes to train new Rwandan footballers

With its academy in Huye, PSG hopes to train new Rwandan footballers

Winners of the PSG World Cup of Academies

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