“I don’t want to sound like one who is exaggerating, but that moment when Rwanda qualifies to the AFCON in 2004 added a lot to what was happening, to the process of bringing the country together,” these were the exact words of President Paul Kagame in September 2012 when he reminisced how AFCON qualification brought the whole of Rwanda together.
Rwanda has a very turbulent past, ethnic conflicts had been brewing in the country since the 1950’s and it reached its peak in 1994 when an estimated 1 Million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered during the Rwanda genocide by trained militia.
Prior to the Genocide of 1994 which lasted a period of 100 days that is from April 7 to July 15 after then president Juvenal Habyarimana’s air craft had been shot down by unknown people, there was tension and tribal conflicts in all areas.
Even in sporting disciplines such as football, teams like Etincelles which was at Rubavu where Juvenal Habyarimana the Hutu president was from was a no go area. Tutsi players of other teams were afraid to travel with their teams to such destinations as they were often singled out and harassed.
After then Rwanda Patriotic Front ousted out the genocide regime of Juvenal Habyarimana, Paul Kagame begun rebuilding the country but it was not easy as people had scars in their heart.
Rwanda needed something which could be a unifier, the country needed something which could bring all the people in the country together regardless of race, ethnicity, and color and it turned out to be football.
During the genocide, future Rwandan legends such as Olivier Karekezi and others lost almost their whole family. For someone like Karekezi who is arguably Rwanda’s best player ever, featuring for the national team was difficult by virtue of the fact that he was going to play with other people whose parents actively took part in the genocide, but as times went on, he let it to go and he played with all his heart.
“It was not easy playing for the national team because I knew some players whose parents actively took part in the genocide and stepping on the same pitch with children of killers was very hard. But as times went on, I forgot about it and went all out.” Karekezi told Times Sport
Players including Olivier Karekezi, Jimmy Gatete, Eric Nshimiyimana under the tutelage of Serbian tactician Ratomir Dujkovic defied all odds and qualified Rwanda to the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia which remains their only time in history.
In Group 13 comprising four time champions Ghana, as well as Uganda, the Amavubi finished on top of the Group to book their ticket to Tunisia. They beat Ghana 1-0 at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on July 6, 2003. The win against Ghana and the qualification opened a new chapter in Rwandan history as it brought about togetherness.
There was no Hutu, no Tutsi, no Twa as all Rwandans in one accord cheered and supported the national team. The AFCON qualification in 2004 further brought self believe to Rwandans that they are one people and if they stick together, they can achieve success.
“We decided that sport and especially football could help heal our community,” President Kagame stated in 2019.
For now, Rwanda is a unified country and people live in absolute peace and harmony. The AFCON qualification in 2004 further sped up the reconciliation process as people got to understand that they are one people with one goal.
Despite Rwanda failing to make it to the quarter finals of the 2004 AFCON after finishing third in Group A with a defeat against Tunisia, draw with Guinea and a win over neighbors DR Congo, the qualification and playing in the competition brought all Rwandans together.
Through the AFCON, Rwandans have become unified and they now have a great sense of believe that they can get to greater heights if they live cordially.
