SOME OF THE STATEMENTS COACH RWAKA CLAUDE SHARED WITH US
SUPPORTING RAYON SPORT WFC IS SOMETHING YOU ARE BORN WITH, IT IS PASSED DOWN THROUGH BLOOD, INHERITED FROM PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS
Rayon Sports is a football club that existed even before the establishment of a football federation in Rwanda. It was also the first Rwandan team to represent the country in CECAFA Champions League competitions. We are talking about Rayon Sports WFC, a team made up of Rwandans, famously known as Gikundiro or Murera. When they win, fans proudly say, “This is Rayon Sports WFC.”
For many football fans, both men and women in Rwanda, Rayon Sports WFC seems to be the very definition of football. It is said to have the largest fan base in the country. Its supporters often joke that supporting Rayon Sports is something you are born with, that it is passed from parents to children through blood. Rayon Sports WFC is a big and powerful club.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE OF RAYON SPORTS WFC IN 3 YEARS
Rayon Sports WFC has now been in existence for three years, and throughout all those years it has performed well. It won league titles in women’s football, starting from the second division of the women’s league.
THE PRIDE OF COACHING WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
The pride I feel in coaching women’s football comes from the fact that it was not common in the past for girls to play football, but today it has reached a good level. Currently, a girl or a woman receives allowances and bonuses, which help them in their daily lives, as football enables them to earn a living or support their families.
CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
- The challenges we still face include:
Girls are not yet given the same value as men; they are not adequately supported or cared for.
- The pitches where women play are not of good standard, which creates many difficulties for players who reach the first division, and sometimes they lack essential facilities.
WHAT GIVES ME MOTIVATION AND STRENGTH
What motivates me is the cooperation I found among the players of Rayon Sports WFC when I started coaching the team. We worked together and put in collective effort over the past three years, managing to win trophies something that was very meaningful to all of us.
CECAFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY AND THE PRIDE OF REPRESENTING RWANDA
I also felt proud to go beyond Rwanda and compete in the CECAFA Champions League. The first time, which was held in Ethiopia, we did not manage to win a single match, but it became a very important learning experience.
The second time we participated; we performed very well and reached a level where we could compete with teams that had many years of experience in the tournament. This showed that Rwandan girls, especially those from Rayon Sports WFC, have reached a level where they can compete with strong teams from outside the country. That time, we reached the final and finished as runners up.
GOALS AND FUTURE AMBITIONS
My wish, together with my players, is to win the Rwanda Women’s Super League, so that we can go beyond where we ended in this year’s CECAFA Champions League and secure a ticket to compete in the group stages of the higher level Champions League.
Written by Migisha Janviére
